


Sons of The Stars

by Yunalesca10



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: BAMF Chazz, Bastion is basically a wizard, Blood and Violence, Crowler is such a dad, Fantasy AU, Good versus Evil, Half-blind Jim, Idiots in Love, Interdimensional Travel, Jaden and Jesse being adorably gay, Jaden is literally such a dork, Jesse is always subtly flirting, Kidnapping, Love, Love at First Sight, M/M, Magic, Non-Graphic Violence, Sheppard sees the future, Slow Burn, amnesiac Jaden, bamf alexis, dubverse, lots of destiny talk, they're like a dysfuntional family it's lovely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 130,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26047468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunalesca10/pseuds/Yunalesca10
Summary: Born from the power of the celestials that dwell in the stars, Jaden Yuki awakes in the kingdom of the ninth dimension with no memory of himself or his past. Unsure of who he is or the grand purpose he was created for, Jaden must travel through the twelve dimensions to discover his true identity and learn his destiny, meeting many allies along the way he must brave the cruel force of destiny and defeat the ultimate evil before the universe itself comes to an end. Even if it means destroying himself in the process.
Relationships: Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Comments: 30
Kudos: 43
Collections: Yu-Gi-Oh! Big Bang 2020





	1. Skyfall

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I almost can't believe I'm finaly posting this today. I've been working on this in some form or another over the last 3 years, and I've poured so much love and time, and quite frankly my own sanity into this. It's a product of love and gratitude to GX and what it's done for me in the last few years as a person, and I hope you all find something within this chaos to love as much as I do.
> 
> Also, check out this incredible art from the amazing sketchingtons [here](https://sketchingtons.tumblr.com/) !!

**_-Chapter 1-_ **

_"My name is Jaden Yuki."_

That was the one thought that repeated over and over inside his head. In a way it was almost like some kind of weird chant or mantra, but in actuality, it was the only thought there. Jaden had no memory of his life, family, or anything at all. All he knew was the name someone must have given him. Slowly opening his eyes the world around him became increasingly more clear, as well his body began to register the sense of feeling. A cold wind rushed around him, assaulting his face and the rest of his body with cold air, and on top of that his body felt like it was floating in mid air. Upon a stark realization, he realized that was because he _was_ floating in mid air. Of course, _falling_ would have been the correct word to describe the present sensation. His eyes widening immediately at the realization of his present predicament, an all consuming fear took hold of his body as the ground came ever closer. A loud cry escaped from his lips as Jaden realized he was about two seconds away from hitting his face on the ground. As his pale and flawless form collided with the cold stone of the ground he had just assailed, a sharp pain flew up and down his body as a pained cry was forced out of him while the wind was knocked from his chest upon collision. He doubted anything was broken, from what Jaden had observed in his slight panic he hadn't fallen from very far, but of course a fall was still a fall. And it still hurt like hell.

"Ouch…" Jaden whined, his eyes screwed shut as he slowly lifted himself up and assumed a sitting position before examining his arms and legs to determine if there was any serious injury to them. Taking a look at himself, he could see a few small scratches on his skin from the stone ground, but other than that he seemed relatively unharmed. As well, Jaden noticed that he was dressed rather strangely for a boy. All that was covering his body was what looked like a thin, loose fitting, short sleeved nightgown of a light and pale green color that was just long enough he assumed from his sitting position to cover his knees at his full height.

 _"Umm, okay, that's kinda weird."_ Jaden thought as he observed his extremely simple and yet strange manner of dress, slowly picking himself up from the ground Jaden winced and a slight hissing sound came from his lips as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He figured the fall must have slightly damaged his ribs, having landed on his stomach after falling.

"Ouch…" He muttered quietly to himself, his left eye tightly closed as he wrapped his right arm around his chest in a natural reaction to the pain. "Damn, that hurts…" looking back to his body, Jaden took notice of his garb again, distracting himself from the pain by examining it for a moment.

 _"Guess I don't have the best fashion sense?"_ he wondered as he examined his only article of clothing. Aside from the color there wasn't really anything of note about it, but he did notice that despite the plain and simple fabric the nightgown-esque garb had somewhat of an otherworldly shimmer to it in the light. Earning a raised eyebrow from the brunette. In fact, for a brief moment his entire _body_ seemed to shimmer.

"Whoa! What the!?" Jaden exclaimed, his eyes widening as his body shone with a thin layer of ethereal light. And on top of that, the pain lingering in Jaden's body after the fall began to disappear as the light slowly faded away. "Well that was weird…" examining his body as the light faded away, Jaden's eyebrow raised in confusion as the pain he felt before disappeared from his slender form. Not that he had experienced much in the world before from what he could recall -which was nothing- but this had to top the list of strange occurrences that had happened to him in what little of his life he could remember. Looking around for a moment Jaden's eyes fixed on the stone ground. By his bare feet laid a small stack of what looked like playing cards. Lowering himself down to a sort of squatting position Jaden rested his left arm over top his knees as he picked up the small stack of slightly glossy and new looking cardboard paper cards.

"What's a Duel Monsters deck doing on the ground..?" Jaden questioned, running his thumb gently over the back of the card on the top of the deck as he held it securely in his right hand. Stopping for a second he realized that despite the seemingly gaping hole in his knowledge and memory, the deck was all too familiar to him. And that there was almost no gap in his knowledge when it came to the summoning and battle tactics associated with these cards, though some of it he found was still lost on him. It was an odd realization to be sure. Turning the deck over, Jaden looked upon the immaculate imagery of the creature adorning the card. Laying his eyes on the creature Jaden's eyes widened for a moment, blinking quickly before shaking his head free of an odd feeling that overtook him as he stared at the superhero sort of monster staring back at him. "T-This deck...is mine…?"

"Hey, you!"

"W-Whoa!" Jaden exclaimed, falling backwards onto his ass as the surprise of the sudden shout caught him off guard, causing him to lose his balance in his squatted position. "What the..?"

"You! On your feet!"

Quickly regaining his composure Jaden shook his head, looking back up to see what looked to be a soldier or guard of some kind standing over him, a long, golden spear held steady in his hands and pointed directly at the teenager on the ground. Looking up at the soldier, the man's gilded armor glinted in the sunlight, his helmet shrouding his face from the teen. Not that he'd seen very much in his life from what he could recall, which was hardly anything at all, but the royal blue and golden armor adorning the soldier certainly was one of the coolest sights.

"Do you not speak!? I said, on your feet!" The soldier commanded, thrusting the golden weapon an inch closer to the young man's face. Staring down the barrel of the spear, Jaden's eyes couldn't have possibly been wider than they were in that moment. Casting his glance up to the soldier before him Jaden slowly raised his hands into the air, not wanting any trouble considering he didn't know where he was - _who_ he was- or what was going on.

"I-I don't want any trouble, sir.." Jaden cautioned, taking a deep breath as he kept himself calm, not knowing what to do otherwise. The soldier motioned with his movement of the spear for him to stand. Taking a moment to register the order, Jaden slowly collected himself and rose from the ground, his hands still in the air to show his nonthreatening nature. He couldn't think of anything he may have done wrong, after all he hadn't done much of anything at all other than fall from the sky onto his face and examine a few cards. What could he have possibly done to agitate the-

_"Oh shit!"_

"I-Is this because I fell out of the sky!?" He asked in a panic, worried that he was going to get into trouble without any knowledge of what wrong he committed or why it was wrong. Not like he knew anything about the law considering from what he realized, the only thing he knew for sure was his name. Getting arrested with only that knowledge to his name certainly wasn't ideal.

"Come with me." The soldier ordered, motioning forwards with his spear for Jaden to follow him down the road. To jail, he figured.

"I'm not in trouble, am I..?" Jaden questioned, his expression changing to match his worried emotions. The last thing he wanted was to get in trouble or do wrong by another person. He didn't hardly know anything at all, but he did know he must be a good person. "I mean, i-it's not like I did anything _wrong."_ realizing he was probably wrong, Jaden's tone changed drastically to that of a child worried his parents were about to scold him. "...right..?"

"Silence." The soldier spat out, already growing weary of Jaden's questions. "I said come with me. Now be quiet and follow." turning away from the sky child the soldier started walking further into the town. Or rather city considering that as Jaden took a glance around at his surroundings while following behind the soldier, he saw a rather large castle on the edge of the city, surrounded by what he assumed were homes and businesses. The city itself was stunning. Plenty of squares for wandering townsfolk to gather and chat, fountains galore creating absolutely beautiful displays throughout the city, and so much foliage, it was like a town straight out of a fairy tale. And on top of that, a castle to boot. Jaden had never seen anything like it in his life -not that he'd seen hardly anything at all- before. Flags flew in the wind mounted on every building lining the street, colored a vibrant blue with what he assumed was the royal signet in the center. The golden outline of a three headed dragon graced the flags. It was a sight to behold to be sure. Looking around again Jaden realized that most everyone that was on the street was staring at him, either silently or whispering to the person next to them, although their eyes remained trained on him. It was uncomfortable to be sure, and suddenly he was aware of just how strange he must look to them wearing basically nothing but a nightgown walking down the street with a soldier. Surely that wasn't a common occurrence around here if people were reacting the way they were. Feeling very self conscious Jaden sped up a little, moving closer to the soldier as he brought his arm up, clutching the cards he held close to his heart. Somehow it made him feel more at ease having them so close to him.

"Where are we going..?" Jaden asked quietly, keeping his gaze on the soldier rather than the people staring at him and making him feel very uncomfortable. He had an idea considering the direction they were headed in, but he wanted to hear it said. Conformation and all that.

"Where do you think?" The soldier asked curtly, scoffing at the youth following him. "To see the king. Seeing as you were seen falling out of the sky, needless to say that's not exactly trustworthy."

"T-The king!?" Jaden gasped, his eyes widening as he realized the potential gravity of his situation, and more or less panicking at this point. "W-Why? Why am I being taken to the king? I didn't do anything!"

"What did I _just_ say?" The soldier asked frustratedly, shaking his head at the boy as he tried to muster up a bit of patience. "You were seen falling out of the sky, and if you haven't noticed, that's not exactly normal. In fact, it _never_ happens."

"S-So what? Am I going to jail..?" Jaden inquired, steadying his panic with a few subtle deep breaths.

"That's up to his majesty." The soldier said, keeping his eyes front as he led the boy further through the city, closing in on the castle at a steady pace. It was truly a sight to behold to be sure, but intimidating with its massive size. Towering over the entire town and casting its shadow over it all, though it was a beautiful structure. Towers rose high around and on the castle, connected by stone bridges, the stone gave the structure an almost silvery appearance, while vibrant blue flags and banners decorated the walls and gates, the roofing of the towers was also a deep and vibrant blue matching well with the almost silver stonework. Approaching the gates Jaden felt the butterflies in his stomach become even more restless, worried about what the king would decide his fate to be. He had barely lived at all, and he was too young to go to jail. The fear of imprisonment on top of the anxiety of never having actually seen a royal before was adding up to be a very inconvenient collective negative emotion building up inside of him. Staying close to the soldier Jaden's heart nearly stopped in his chest as the castle gates were opened for them to pass through. The intricate silver design serving as a massive passageway into the castle grounds was breathtaking, but also slightly terrifying knowing what was beyond.

 _"Calm down, Jaden, you're fine."_ Jaden thought to himself, taking a deep breath before they continued forward into the courtyard, greeted by lush grass, hedges, and what looked like rose bushes and such lining the walkway, all leading up to a large fountain at the foot of the staircase to the castle doors. It was a beautiful place, but it didn't help in assuaging Jaden's worries at all unfortunately. _"I know I can't remember anything before falling from the sky, a-and I have no idea who or where I am, b-but I'm sure this is all just some big misunderstanding and I'll be able to go on my way."_ realizing the futility in that hope Jaden scoffed quietly under his breath, shaking his head slightly before turning his gaze back to the path before him and his unwanted escort. No way was he getting out of this easy and he knew it. _"Yeah, doubtful."_

"Boy, when you're presented to his highness I suggest you speak only the truth. And don't do anything stupid if you wish to stay out of prison." The soldier advised, turning his head slightly back at Jaden as he led him down the walkway and up the staircase, stopping before the large double doors to wait for them to be opened so they could continue on. The butterflies in Jaden's stomach took complete control as the doors slowly opened for them, and the soldier led him inside. The inside of the castle was just like the outside, beautiful and extravagant yet at the same time seeming rather simple in a way. Tapestries hung on both sides of the corridors, depicting what Jaden assumed were histories of the kingdom and all that kind of boring stuff one would expect to see inside a castle. The architecture was truly stunning, unlike anything he had ever seen in his beyond short memory. The deep blue carpet overlayed on the marble floor matched beautifully with the color scheme of the whole place, very much dominated by silvers, golds, and blues of various descriptions. And crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling providing light to the castle. It was a vision of grandeur and loveliness to be sure. Taking in everything he saw around him Jaden took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what was coming. He wasn't here for a friendly visit or a tour -definitely not that- he was here because he fell from the sky and they didn't trust him. More than that, the _king_ wanted to speak to him.

 _"More like interrogate probably…"_ Jaden thought, sighing quietly to himself as the soldier stopped at an even grander pair of double doors than the entrance to the castle itself. _"Are we there…?"_ peeking around the soldier's shoulder Jaden saw a boy who looked about his age if not even a little younger standing before the soldier. His silver hair and vibrant blue eyes were certainly a match to the castle decor. The soldier was decidedly taller than Jaden, so getting up on his tiptoes Jaden was able to see the boy better. He wore a long primarily white coat, though the right side of the coat's bodice was black, closed by several small black clasps, while the trim and lining of the bottom half of the coat was also black. A black and white belt around his waist over the coat also held it closed and separated the bodice from the rest. Under the coat he wore a black dress shirt accompanied by a white tie, silver suit pants and black dress shoes, matching his very monochromatic color scheme. In fact the only color on the boy was his vibrant blue eyes. Nodding as the soldier spoke the boy scribbled some notes down on a clipboard in his hands. Adorning his hands were black finger-less gloves, probably for keeping his hands clean while writing things down Jaden thought. Glancing another second longer the silver haired boy turned his gaze ever so slightly in Jaden's direction, having noticed the youth poking over the soldier's shoulder. His gaze was icy, and for the slightest moment of eye contact the boy's expression changed to one of slight contempt before returning his eyes to the soldier and then his clipboard as he wrote down a final note.

"Wait here." The boy said, holding his clipboard against his chest as he looked the soldier in the eyes, ignoring Jaden's presence. "I'll inform his majesty you've brought him." glancing back at Jaden for only a second, the boy gracefully turned on his heel to face the doors to the throne room, his voice was cold and analytical, clearly he was a no nonsense type of man. "You'll be shown in shortly." opening the door and leaving the two in the corridor the monochromatic youth entered the throne room. Lowering himself down from his tiptoes Jaden re-situated himself flat on his feet, taking another deep breath before he started to get nervous again.

"Aster Phoenix."

"Huh?" Jaden asked, glancing up at the soldier with a confused look on his face as the soldier kept his eyes forward, waiting for the door to be opened for them.

"His majesty's royal advisor." He explained, sensing Jaden's confusion. "He's young, but he's a real serious guy. Some would say he's kind of a tight ass." he chuckled quietly to himself for a moment before clearing his throat, turning only slightly in Jaden's direction. "Still, I wouldn't want to be on his bad side. He's young, but he has quite a sphere of influence. If you know what I mean."

"Uh, y-yeah, right." Jaden nodded, processing the new information as well as he could. "Got it."

A few silent moments passed, the in all honesty minutes felt like hours, the anticipation of being brought before a king who could decide his fate was eating away at Jaden's entire being. It was nerve wracking to be sure. Jaden stood silent, fiddling with the cards he held in his hands having nothing better to do to pass the time. They were a curious thing, those cards. They were so familiar to him, yet he couldn't recall why. He still couldn't remember anything before falling out of the sky.

 _"Who am I…?"_ he thought, staring intently at the cards as he flipped through them, trying to come up with even the slightest conclusion as to the person he was before. _"Was I a good person..? Do I have a family anywhere..?"_ but the answers eluded him no matter what he asked himself. It was almost like there were no answers. But even so the biggest question still begged for an answer. _"Where did I come from..?"_

"Boy."

Snapping out of his thoughts Jaden looked up at the soldier, who's gaze had slightly turned his way again.

"Look sharp."

"What..?" Jaden questioned, his eyebrow raising in confusion before glancing passed the soldier to the throne room doors. The door stirred, taking a moment before opening before them, another soldier standing in front of them, waiting to escort them inside.

"Come." He said, turning and walking inside, expecting them to follow. The soldier with Jaden turned his way, placing his hand on Jaden's back, leading him into the throne room. The throne room was just as immaculate if not more so than the rest of the castle he'd seen so far. It was overwhelming just being here. Looking forward, Jaden's eyes widened as he looked upon them. Two thrones were at the back of the room, situated on top of a slightly elevated space. Beside them stood Aster, clipboard in hand and icy gaze locked on Jaden. Sitting upon them were two men. Or rather, a man and a boy. The resident royalty, no doubt about that. The man looked like he was a very tall man. He was dressed almost completely in black, his hair was decently long and was a dark almost blueish green color, his eyes shared the same color, and they were narrow and cold. Sitting next to him on the second throne, was a much smaller boy, in fact, he was quite small and looked very thin. His hair was a light aqua color arrayed in what could only be described as multiple layers, contrasting with the other. His eyes were large and gray, and small round glasses were situated on his nose. He was extremely cute to say the least. Sitting quietly with his hands folded in his lap the boy's eyes turned to Jaden as he approached, curiosity growing inside of him. The boy had a similar color scheme to Aster, primarily dressed in black and white, but with hints of gold intermixed. Jaden couldn't quite tell how they were dressed, not being too close to them and with them sitting down, but after a few more steps the soldiers stopped, Jaden being positioned between the two of them. Aster took a step forward, taking a breath before his voice projected through the room.

"Their Royal Majesties: King Zane and Prince Syrus of dimension nine."

The two soldiers beside Jaden knelt before them, leaving Jaden awkwardly standing by himself. Looking around for a moment in pure awkwardness and confusion, the soldier to his left grabbed his arm and pulled him down to his knees.

"Kneel before their majesties, boy." He advised quietly, keeping his gaze turned away from Jaden.

"So, you're the boy I've been hearing about?" Zane questioned, his deep and harsh voice striking a slight bit of fear into Jaden's soul. "The one from the sky?" scoffing a little under his breath, Zane didn't seem too impressed. "Word certainly does travel quickly within my kingdom. Now tell me, are you truly the one?"

"I-I guess so, sir." Jaden answered, feeling more than intimidated by Zane's cold gaze. "Uh I-I mean, your majesty!" Panic wasn't exactly ideal, but it was closing in on him with the pressure of being in the presence of royalty with next to no information to his name, or any idea how to properly act around a king and a prince. Especially in his situation and circumstances.

"You _guess_?" Zane questioned, his eyebrow raising at the young boy. "You haven't cast a vote of confidence with my people. Tell me, who are you?" Jaden's body stiffened at the question. Of all the things he was afraid to answer, that was at the top of the list. Mostly because he had no answer. Of course, he knew his name, but that was all he knew. Exactly _who_ the person known as Jaden Yuki _was,_ was a mystery even to himself. And to be asked by a King who could decide to seal his fate certainly was no help.

"Well I…" Jaden began, afraid of how his highness would react to his less than informative answer. "I…don't know who I am."

"Nonsense!" Aster interjected, stepping forward while disgust overtook his tone and his eyes narrowed into a heavy glare. Clearly less than enthused by Jaden's answer to Zane's question.

"Aster, please…" Syrus spoke up, his childish and high pitched voice a welcomed contrast to the deep and cold tones of everyone else in the room. Syrus turned his gaze to Aster, raising his right hand slightly, signaling him to stand down so the questioning could continue in peace.

"You don't know?" Zane inquired, frowning deeply as he too, was unsatisfied by the answer he had been given. "Do you expect us to believe such a thing?"

"It's true!" Jaden insisted, getting up off of his knees to make his stand, literally and figuratively. "I opened my eyes and I was falling! I can't remember anything before that, or who I am, or where I came from!" clutching the cards he held tightly in his hand, his eyes locked with the young prince's, he seemed to be the one who would be easiest to convince he wasn't dangerous or a liar. Syrus kept his gaze trained on Jaden as well, considering there may be some truth to what he had to say. "Please, you have to believe me, your majesty!"

"Silence!" Zane commanded, his harsh tone cutting through the space. Jaden's heart seized for a moment, worried he had just doomed himself, but he tried to stay calm. A moment of silence passed, and Zane too, stood. At his full height he was like a giant of a man, standing at around six feet tall he towered over Jaden from his place before the throne. His long black coat cascaded around him, he looked more intimidating than ever now. His massive figure draped in nearly all black, with only slight hints of color on his dress pants and top over top his shirt made his presence that much more terrifying. His cold and serious eyes didn't help either. "You claim that you have no memory before falling out of the sky into my kingdom, and that you also don't even know who you are?" He questioned, unimpressed and unconvinced by Jaden's words. "Tell me, _boy_. How do you expect me to believe you? You certainly don't inspire much confidence."

"But it's the truth!" Jaden insisted, not anymore interested in behaving properly. He just wanted to defend himself and make his point that he really was innocent of whatever they might be suspecting him of.

"Hold your tongue!" Aster nearly shouted, his own eyes narrowing in tandem with Zane's as they both became more frustrated with the boy.

"Aster." Syrus scolded, narrowing his own much larger and kinder eyes at the advisor, unhappy with his behavior. "Let him speak."

"Please, your majesty." Jaden pleaded, "I'm not lying. I'm just as confused about myself as everyone else. All I know is that these cards are mine, and my name is Jaden Yuki. I swear that's all I know!"

"Jaden Yuki?" Aster observed, narrowing his eyes again at the hardly clothed brunette standing before them. He hadn't believed a word Jaden had said the entire time, and now he was only doubting his words more. "So you _do_ know who you are. You spout nothing but lies!"

"No!" Jaden said, raising his voice and shaking his head at the advisor, determined to convince him he was telling the truth. "I know my name, but I still don't know who I am! I couldn't tell you where I came from, or anything about my family, or anything about myself other than my name." Locking eyes with Syrus again, Jaden hoped with all of his being that at least one of them believed him, he had no reason to lie. "I swear, I'm not lying."

"That's enough." Zane declared, his eyes maintaining their serious and intimidating demeanor as his voice cut through the space like a hot knife. "I've heard enough of this. Guards! Take him to the dungeon."

"What!?" Jaden shouted, his eyes widening in fear as the guards rose to their feet beside him, heeding their king's orders and grabbing Jaden's arms, ready to take him away.

"I will decide his fate another time." Zane concluded, taking back his seat on his throne. Syrus on the other hand, looked very displeased with his brother's order. Quickly turning to him, his right hand clutching the armrest of his own throne.

"Brother, wait!" He cried, his voice overcome with a powerful urgency as his eyes locked onto his elder brother beside him, "I believe he's telling the truth! Don't do this!"

"It is not your place to make these decisions, Syrus." Zane stated, his tone cold and stern. "I will decide this boy's fate. Now hold your tongue."

"But big brother!" Syrus pleaded, standing quickly from his place on his throne. Quickly raising his hand to his chest he objected to his brother's decision. "I believe him! I believe he's telling the truth. I highly doubt he's dangerous, I mean look at him! Does he look dangerous to you?"

Jaden remained where he stood, in the hands of the two guards, but his expression had changed dramatically. He had been trying to convince them himself that he wasn't a liar or a threat, and advocating to the young prince played a large part in his spur-of-the-moment plan. But he doubted his plan would actually garner even a small amount of success, and as such the shock in his expression was ever present and slightly overwhelming in all honesty. Realizing after a moment Syrus's desire to help him out, Jaden did his best to try and look as innocent and harmless as possible, though he knew that considering the clearly very low opinion the king and Aster had of him the chances of him being released seemed to be pretty much slim to none in Jaden's eyes. But he just had to try and help Syrus help him anyway.

"Syrus. That is enough." Zane said calmly. Yet even though his voice was calm, it was clear his temperament was just the opposite. A fury burned within him, deep inside his soul an ever burning, never ending anger had manifested, and was beginning to show itself. "We don't know who he is or where he came from. He could have very well been sent from the sixth dimension as a spy to infiltrate and destroy us. I'm not willing to take that risk." his gaze tearing into Jaden's very soul, he kept his eyes away from his little brother. "I'm surprised you would be so blind to that fact. I thought I had taught you better."

"I-I'm not a spy!" Jaden countered, struggling against the soldiers gripping their armored hands around his arms, his own hand gripping tightly to the cards held within his right hand. "I may not know who I was before, or where I came from, or why I fell out of the sky into your kingdom...but I know who I am right now in this moment. And I'm not a spy, I'm not dangerous! I just want to fix my memories..I want to know."

"I've heard enough." Zane said, taking a moment of silence before sealing Jaden's fate. "Take him away."

"NO!" Jaden screamed, pleading as the guards turned to take him to the dungeon. "Your majesty please..!"

"Aster, take care of this. I will take some time and consider what to do with him." Zane said, turning slightly in Aster's direction as he already began his consideration.

"Yes, your majesty." Aster said, offering a slight bow before scribbling some notes down on his clipboard.

"Brother, look!" Syrus shouted, pointing towards Jaden his already large eyes widened even more. Turning their heads as well to the brunette Zane and Aster's eyes began to slightly widen as well. Looking quickly from side to side while his eyes conveyed confusion Jaden's gaze turned to see what it was they saw. Clutched in his right hand the deck he held, his one and only possession, was draped in a veil of white light, shining bright, enough to catch the eyes of all those around him.

"What is this!?" Zane questioned, standing from his throne as his eyes narrowed at the confused brunette.

"Let's get to the bottom of this." Aster said, his own eyes narrowing as he stepped forwards, taking graceful strides over to Jaden, stopping for a brief moment before snatching the deck from Jaden's hand.

"Hey!" Jaden protested, pulling against the soldiers holding him to make an attempt at an escape. "Give those back!"

"Relax, I'm only investigating." Aster said, just as annoyed with the brunette before him now as he had been the entire time up until this point. Examining the deck he now held in his hand Aster drew the card on top, taking a look at the creature adorning the card. "Your majesty, it appears to be a Neo Spacian."

"What?" Zane asked, deep shock present in his voice as the eyes of everyone in the room widened slightly at the revelation.

"I'm certain." Aster nodded, holding the card out for their majesties to be able to see. Jaden stood there in confusion, not sure what at all was going on, but he hoped it wasn't anything bad. He was in enough trouble already as it is. Anything else working against him could only end extremely badly at this point, which of course was not at all favorable.

"Brother, you know what this means." Syrus said, hoping that this new development would overturn his brother's previous decision. Something deep inside of him was telling Syrus that he could trust this Jaden, and that he was worth protecting. He didn't really understand what it was, but he trusted that feeling, so he decided that he could trust Jaden.

"I do." Zane nodded, a sigh escaping from his lips as he turned his gaze to his younger brother. "Syrus, escort him to the guest quarters. And get him a change of clothes." he commanded, scoffing in what was almost disgust at the basically nightgown he was wearing, only covering a small bit of him as it only went down to just above his knees and hung loosely around his slim body.

"Yes, brother." Syrus nodded, turning gracefully on his heel as he made his way over to the brunette in question. Jaden on the other hand, was even more confused than he had been the entire time he could remember being alive. What were they on about? Neo Spacians? None of this was making any sense to him. But what he _did_ know was that he was getting out of going to jail, and that was good enough for him. But an explanation would be nice.

 _"What's going on? What's the big deal with these Neo Spacian things..?"_ Jaden thought, watching as the Prince made his way over to him, glancing back to his deck now held in Aster's hands. _"Well, whatever's going on, I think I'm about to find out.."_


	2. Diamond In The Rough

**_-Chapter 2-_ **

“So, you really don’t know where you’re from?” Syrus asked as he walked alongside Jaden and the two soldiers, escorting Jaden to the guest chamber as his brother instructed him to do. “Or who you are?”

“Nope.” Jaden answered, shaking his head in response, “I can’t remember anything before I fell. It’s like there wasn’t anything at all before that happened…I just…have no memories..” 

“I’m sorry..” Syrus said quietly, looking away from the brunette for a moment as he collected his thoughts and feelings on the matter. “I couldn’t even imagine how awful that must be..”

“Eh, it’s not so bad I guess.” Jaden shrugged, evaluating the situation in his mind, crossing his arms behind his head as they walked, thinking about his short span of memories. “I mean, I just have to focus on what’s happening now. Y’know? Make new memories.” he smiled slightly at the thought, but also chuckled at what all had happened despite how scary and confusing it was. “Still, can’t say having no memories has been helpful. I mean I _did_ almost get thrown in jail…”

“Yes, that’s true..” Syrus sighed, still feeling bad about what had gone down before. “I apologize for my big brother… he’s a bit lacking in the compassion department..”

“Nah, it’s cool, your highness.” Jaden shrugged, shaking off the prince’s apology, though in truth he did appreciate it. “I mean, he’s just doing his job. Being the king and all. I understand.”

“Still…”

“By the way, highness, I do have a question, if I may.” Jaden said, turning his gaze down to the little prince beside him, a look of sincere confusion adorning his own young face. “What exactly are these ‘Neo Spacians’ Aster was talking about…?” 

“I should have figured you might not know, considering the memory thing…” Syrus examined, crossing his arms and placing the tip of his thumbnail between his teeth as he thought of an easy and simple way to explain it to him. “Well you see, within the twelve dimensions there’s a strong belief in what we call, ‘Celestial Beings’, or in layman's terms, ‘Gods’ that preside over the twelve dimensions. There are four main celestials. The Rainbow Dragon, which primarily presides over the fourth dimension, Cyber End Dragon, which you can see depicted all across this dimension. There are also the Ancient Gears, who once resided in the seventh dimension many centuries ago, and the Neo Spacians. The Neo Spacians are basically the most powerful of the celestials. There’s a lot of them, but they all reside under Neos, the all-powerful. Do you follow?”

“Kinda…” Jaden answered, his voice wavering as his brain struggled to absorb all of the important information and process it into any kind of coherent understanding. “So they’re a big deal…?”

“In short, yes.” Syrus nodded, looking to Jaden’s deck, now returned to the titular brunette’s hands. “I’m not sure what’s going on with you and your deck, but if the Neo Spacians have something to do with you, you must be something special.” 

“I don’t know about that.” Jaden said, looking to his deck, his eyes lingering on the stack of cards for a short moment before shaking his head at Syrus's statement. “I’m just a normal person, I’m not royalty like you or anything like that. I’m just Jaden.”

“What a simple way to look at it…” Syrus observed, a tiny smile coming across his face, looking back forwards as they rounded the corner to the guest quarters, no less glamorous and elegant than the rest of the castle. In fact, it more or less looked exactly the same. The same silver, blue, and gold colors and motifs decorated the corridors, tapestries detailing the histories and legends of the ninth dimension hung from the walls between the large glass windows and their deep blue silk drapes, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, providing an extra dose of elegance. It was baffling that this was only the guest quarters. One could only imagine how extravagant the king and prince’s quarters were. 

“I guess so.” Jaden shrugged, taking in the sights as they continued, the two soldiers following behind at Syrus’s request. It would be more productive trying to hold a conversation without armed guards in the way. 

“Well in any event, we’re here.” Syrus said, stopping in front of a blue wooden door, trimmed with silver and adorned with a golden knob. 

_“Geez, even the doors are extravagant here…”_ Jaden thought, raising an eyebrow as he looked upon the sight.

“I had Aster send someone to prepare this room for you before we left. And I had a change of clothes brought for you.” Syrus explained, turning the knob and opening the door for them to enter. “I’m sure you’d like something more modest to wear.”

“Uh, y-yeah, that would be great.” Jaden stuttered out, his face turning red as he realized just how under-dressed he was, and felt quite embarrassed about it at that. “T-Thanks, your majesty.”

Syrus chuckled quietly to himself as they walked into the room, leaving the two soldiers standing guard in the hall just outside. It was a good size room, light blue wallpaper covered the walls creating a calm atmosphere, a queen sized bed sat in the center of the room against the wall, a large bay window adorned the wall adjacent the bed with deep blue curtains matching the rest of the castle. The bedding also matched the curtains, a silver canopy draped elegantly over the bed, a gold colored folding screen was positioned in the back corner between the bed and a desk that rested against the wall as well. Resting on the sheets was a folded pair of clothes, with a pair of tall black boots on the floor by the bedside. 

“You can go on and change, we can talk more after.” Syrus said, gesturing to the clothes on the bed and the folding screen beside it. 

“Uh, sure, thanks.” Jaden nodded, taking the clothes and boots from the bed and going behind the folding screen to change. It certainly did feel better getting into some actual clothes, and more modest ones at that. Changing out of the thin gown Jaden found himself in a black sleeveless top that went down to his waist, with a slightly raised collar. A belt mounted deck box in place around his natural waistline, with his deck now resting in the box. Dark bluish gray pants that tucked nicely into the just under knee high black boots and a small belt around his right thigh purely for fashion. The boots themselves were raised slightly by heels that were about two inches in height. Over top his shirt was a strange ensemble. A thin white fabric wrapped around him just under his shoulders which were left exposed by the sleeveless top, trimmed with red the side coming around his left was triangulated at the ends, the fabric held together by a red button clasping the fabric together. Behind his back two more large pieces of red trimmed white fabric fluttered like a small cape, the ends triangulated as well. Connecting to the sides of the larger fabric pieces wrapping around to the front of his arms was a small flowing red silk like cascade. And adorning his arms connected to the inside of the smaller white fabric were red sleeve-like gloves, leaving his palms exposed while the red fabric wrapped itself around his middle fingers to hold it in place around the backs of his hands with almost silky red buckles around his wrists. It felt great being in actual clothes finally. Taking a moment to look himself over Jaden exited from behind the folding screen.

“Better?” Jaden asked, doing a cheesy turn so Syrus could see how it looked. 

“It definitely suits you more than that nightgown thing.” Syrus observed, proud of himself for making such a good choice. “You’d stand out in a crowd a lot less now. Which I can certainly say is a good thing.”

“I guess so.” Jaden said, taking a seat on the side of the large bed before taking another look at the prince. Taking the time to really pay attention and stop freaking out he took notice of the prince’s own ensemble. He was dressed very elegantly as one could guess a prince would be dressed, a black choker studded with a gold diamond shaped stone around his neck, attached was a white wrap of sorts decorated with gold across the shoulders that draped just over his small shoulders and covered a small portion of his upper back. Attached in the back was a see-through, glistening veil-like fabric that stopped at the base of his spine. Gold bands decorated his arms, one on his wrists and biceps, and two on his forearms, with a white silk covering the outer side of his arms going from the bicep bands to his wrists while his hands were covered the same as Jaden’s except only in white. A white, gold trimmed top covered his chest, connecting to a long white, gold trimmed silk strip that formed the front of a skirt. Around his waist underneath the white strip wrapped a black silk forming the rest of the skirt that went down to just above his ankles, slit in the front on either side of the gold trimmed silk strip up to the boy’s knees. He was wearing calf high black wedge boots that raised about two and a quarter inches, only slightly higher Jaden’s. As well around his waist was a gold band, with white silk coming off of it in a draping cascade, shorter in the front as it grew slightly longer around to the back landing slightly above his knees. And again he noticed the pair of small circular lensed glasses that sat on his nose in front of his large gray eyes. And his light aqua hair contrasted pleasantly with the gold on his black and white ensemble. Realizing how fancily the prince was dressed, Jaden thanked the celestials that he wasn’t so under dressed anymore. It was starting to feel really awkward.

“Trust me, after the scene you caused, it’s better not to stand out.” Syrus advised, taking a step closer to the brunette. 

“Yeah, I get it…” Jaden sighed, thinking back to his very first memories, people staring and whispering to each other about the strange boy that fell from the sky. “So…what are you guys gonna do with me…?”

“I’m not sure.” Syrus admitted, turning his gaze downwards as he raised his right hand to grab at his left arm. “You see, I may be the prince…but I really don’t have any authority when it comes to the affairs of state or anything like this. Aster and my brother take care of everything, I’m really just a figurehead right now…at least according to Zane, anyway…until I'm older, that is. But if you ask me, I think he just doesn't trust me to get the job done the way he does. Besides, he's only a few years older than me himself.”

“What…?” Jaden asked, raising an eyebrow at the blunette, a small frown coming across his face as he noticed the somber expression on the prince’s own boyish face. Clearly more than just a little upset with his position. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense, how could _Aster_ have more authority than _you_? He’s just an advisor, isn’t he?” 

“Yes, he is. But he’s my brother’s right hand, which kinda makes him more important than he needs to be.” Syrus explained. “So they’ll be the ones deciding what happens to you now…but I think the development with your deck might help you out a bit. See, if you’re connected to the Neo Spacians somehow, they can’t do anything bad to you. Or rather, they _won’t._ ”

“Well as long as I don’t get thrown in jail, I guess it doesn’t matter what they do with me.” Jaden shrugged before taking a few moments to think about all that had happened, and what could still come to pass. “I wonder what these Neo Spacians have to do with me…? I mean, maybe they have something to do with why I fell out of the sky…?”

“It’s possible…” Syrus wondered, thinking about it himself for a moment. “In any case, the other dimensional leaders will learn what’s going on eventually. You’d better prepare yourself for when that happens, Jaden. You never know what might happen then. Some of them are far less polite than others, especially when it comes to Celestial stuff.”

“Great…” Jaden sighed, turning his eyes to the deck box now buckled around his true waistline, a thought entering his mind before turning his eyes back to the young prince. “Hey, your highness, do you have a deck too?”

“Uh huh.” Syrus nodded, swiping his right arm in front of his body and to his side, a blue sparkling light following his hand as a deck of his own materialized through the light into his right hand. 

“Whoa!!” Jaden exclaimed, his voice rising to a near shout as his eyes widened exponentially at what he had just witnessed. “H-How did you do that!?”

“It’s an ability shared by all those of royal blood. When we obtain our decks, they’re imbued with a small amount of celestial energy through our own life force. And with that force we’re able to store them in and summon them from the ether whenever we have the need. It also bestows our cards with an extra dose of power. My brother says it could make us weapons of mass destruction on the battlefield…”

“Wow…!” Jaden gasped, taking in the awesomeness that he was beholding and learning. “That’s totally sweet!”

“I suppose it is kinda cool…” Syrus evaluated, taking a moment to linger on his own deck before returning it to the ether, the same blue lights shining in the air around his hand as the deck dematerialized back into the ether. “I never really thought about it like that. ”

“I’m just glad I’m on your side if what you said is true, highness!” Jaden chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, relieved he wouldn’t have to experience the power of a royal deck. At least not here, anyway. Who’s to say every royal or dimensional leader would actually take to Jaden like the prince had? 

“Please, call me Syrus.” he added, offering a soft smile to the brunette opposite him, folding his hands in front of him as an adorable innocence permeated from his small and fragile body. 

“A-Are you sure?” Jaden asked, surprised that the prince would be so casual with him so quickly and easily. He didn’t seem like much of a stickler for protocol in comparison to Aster or Zane, but it was still odd to him considering the circumstances of their meeting. 

“Of course.” Syrus nodded, smiling happily at Jaden his innocence knowing almost no bounds it seemed. “I’d like to think that we could be friends. It’s scary not having someone on your side so…” he smiled brighter, extending his right hand to Jaden, as he also extended his invitation. “You can have me on your side, Jaden. I want to help you figure out who you are, and what the Neo Spacians have to do with you.” 

“Really? Wow… I…” Jaden was overwhelmed by the kindness Syrus was showing him. All he had known since he first opened his eyes that day was doubt and mistrust. It was almost strange for someone to actually be nice to him now. But still he appreciated the gesture and the sentiment. A gentle smile found itself a place on Jaden’s face as he took Syrus's small hand in his own, giving him a nice, firm handshake. “Thanks… Syrus.” 

The two lingered there for a moment, reveling in their newly formed friendship. It was more or less a first for both of them. Friendship wasn’t really something either of them had been exposed to before. In fact, Jaden had hardly known anyone at all, and the closest thing to friends Syrus had ever had were servants. And of course his brother, but Zane wasn’t really one for friends. The two were overjoyed to have found someone that they could call their friend. And Jaden was more than happy to finally have someone on his side, so he wouldn’t be completely alone in the world anymore. Their moment spent, one of the guards entered the room, taking a moment to bow to the prince before delivering his message. 

“Your highness, his majesty requests your presence in the throne room.” The guard said, looking at the two new friends. “The both of you.”

“What does he want?” Jaden asked, raising an eyebrow at the guard, honestly worrying that he might be in trouble again, though at the same time he doubted that.

“I’ll bet they decided what to do with you.” Syrus observed, thinking for a moment before turning back to Jaden. “We’d better go.”

“Yeah okay, if you say so, Syrus.” Jaden agreed, willing to trust his new friend. Syrus nodded in agreement as the two followed the guards out of the room and back to the throne room. “Hey, mind if I call you Sy?”

“Sy?” Syrus asked as he closed the door behind them after they entered the hall, realizing that the brunette had already taken to him enough to apply a nickname, Syrus smiled, his face lighting up with pure happiness. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”

The journey back to the throne room was quiet, tension building around Jaden as he wondered and worried about what was going to happen. Based on what he and Syrus had talked about he doubted he was going to be in trouble, but he still couldn’t help but worry. After all, Zane and Aster didn’t exactly like him too much, or trust him as far as they could throw him, but considering their reactions when they learned he could be connected to the Neo Spacians, maybe they had changed their minds? But even then, more questions arose. In fact, there were far more questions than answers in poor Jaden’s still fairly empty mind. But as he thought, one thought lingered in his mind.

 _“What did his majesty mean by, ‘spy sent by the sixth dimension’..?”_ Jaden thought, recalling Zane’s assertion before. Turning his eyes to Syrus he thought perhaps he could ask him what that meant. 

“Hey, Sy…?” 

“What is it, Jaden?” Syrus asked, turning his gaze up to his new friend. “Is something wrong?”

“I was just wondering about something your brother said before.” Jaden explained, “What did he mean about how I could be a spy from the sixth dimension or whatever? What’s the deal with that?” 

“Oh, that.” Syrus sighed, recalling his brother’s callous yet cautious remark before, shaking his head for a moment he turned his eyes back to Jaden. "You see, the ninth and sixth dimensions have had rocky relations for quite some time. No one really even knows why anymore, but no one’s willing to let it go. Zane least of all. He was suspicious that you might have been sent by them to infiltrate our dimension and try to destroy us.” he explained as they reached the doors to the throne room, the two guards escorting them opening the doors for the two to enter, as they were greeted by Aster behind the open doors.

“My prince.” Aster said, bowing to Syrus as the two entered the room, his eyes catching Jaden’s as he brought his head back up Aster’s eyes narrowed deeply and a scoff escaped from his lips, still not willing to trust the brunette despite how Syrus had decided to. “You.”

“What’s this about, Aster?” Syrus asked, raising his right hand up preemptively to diffuse any confrontation that may have been about to arise. “Has Zane decided what to do…?”

“He has.” Aster nodded, gesturing to Zane who was still sitting on his throne, the same unimpressed and cold look in his eyes “Come.”

“Well that was fast.” Jaden commented, crossing his arms behind his head casually as the three young men approached Zane. He figured it would take them a little more time to decide what would be done with him, but it seemed like it was a far easier decision than Jaden thought it would be. Which was a little worrying honestly.

“Brother.” Syrus acknowledged, offering his older brother a quick and small bow of respect, hoping they would be hearing good news. “Aster says you’ve decided?”

“I have.” Zane nodded, wrapping his hands around the ends of his throne’s armrests, squeezing them slightly as he made his declaration. “Upon discussion and consideration, I’ve decided. Given Aster’s council, I feel it would be best for Mr. Yuki to leave this dimension.”

“What??” Jaden gasped, eyes widening at what manner of words just entered his ears.

“Leave?” Syrus asked, also surprised by what his brother had said, “Are you sure, brother? He only just appeared here, and he still doesn’t remember or really know anything. Are you sure that’s a good idea?” 

“It’s _because_ he doesn’t know anything that I’ve made this decision, Syrus.” Zane explained, a sigh escaping his lips as he tried to think of a way to make them understand. But seeing his king’s problem, Aster took a step forward, clearing his throat quickly before he made an attempt to explain himself.

“You see, his majesty believes that if Mr. Yuki were to travel between the twelve dimensions, it could very well be possible for him to learn things about himself and his identity that he could not here.” He explained, his eyes still cold and icy when he laid them on the undesirable brunette. “You understand, don’t you, my prince?”

“Yes, I suppose I do.” Syrus nodded slightly, though understanding, he still did not approve of the idea. At least not so soon, and sending him alone…it didn’t seem fair to him at all. Though he understood that it wasn’t his brother’s job to be fair.

“So that’s it?” Jaden asked, a confused look coming across his face as he locked eyes with Zane “I just have to leave…?”

“You misunderstand, Mr. Yuki.” Zane answered, slightly straightening his posture for a moment as he tried to explain their decision. “We feel that it would be beneficial for you to leave this dimension. Because should you see the outside, and meet people from different walks of life you may discover something about life and about yourself that you wouldn’t should you stay here. The answers you seek are out _there_.” He said, gesturing to the large windows adjacent him, displaying the world beyond the castle’s stone walls. “Not in here.”

“But I…”

“Of course, we won’t send you on your way immediately.” Aster added, his mood not matching the kindness of his words, “After all, we aren’t cruel. As per his majesty’s instructions, Mr. Yuki will be our guest. And in three days time, once the necessary preparations are made, he will begin his travels. Rest assured, my prince, you don’t have to worry about this one. We will make certain he’s prepared before sending him off.”

“If you insist…” Syrus sighed, knowing that it wouldn’t matter if he objected or not, his brother’s decisions were final. “I suppose I understand why you decided this, brother…but I still don’t agree with it…not this soon.”

“And I understand your concern, Syrus. But I believe this is what would be best for him. To learn and live on his own, and in his own way. Of course there is also the matter of his presence as a possible security threat.” Zane answered, nodding slightly in acknowledgement of his little brother’s concern for his new friend, “Certainly you understand.”

“I understand, brother. Although I still disagree with you about him being dangerous.” Syrus answered, nodding as well at his elder, a resolve growing in his adorable gray eyes. “But if you’re going to send him away so soon..” placing his right hand over his heart, the determination in Syrus’ eyes erupted into a hot burning flame “Then at least me go with him!”

“Sy!?” Jaden gasped, taking a step back for a moment, his balance disrupted by the wave of shock that had hit him with the full force of a full grown horse hitting him at full speed.

“I beg your pardon!?” Aster exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise and disbelief at the prince's request.

“Absolutely not!” Zane bellowed, his voice booming through the chamber as his eyes narrowed at his younger brother, more than serious about his rejection of the motion. “You will not set one foot outside of this castle, is that clear!?” 

“But brother-”

“-But nothing, Syrus!” Zane shouted, slamming his fist down on the armrest of his throne as his temper became even more unstable. “It’s far too dangerous for someone of your station and importance out there, and I _refuse_ to allow you to put yourself at such a great risk for this _boy_!” He declared, leaving no room for even the slightest argument. “You are to stay here, Syrus. Is that clear?”

Syrus’ eyes fell to the floor, downcast and defeated he couldn’t oppose his brother. He wanted to help Jaden, to go along with him so that he wouldn’t be completely alone, but if Zane said no, which he had, there was no point in trying to fight it. Besides, he knew it would turn out that way, honestly he knew it was pointless to even suggest such a thing anyway. But something deep within him compelled Syrus to speak up.

“Yes, brother…” he sighed quietly, wrapping his hand around his left arm as his eyes continued to scan the floor beneath his feet. Jaden gently laid his hand on his friend’s small shoulder.

"And quite frankly I don't care for your behavior since this boy arrived here, Syrus." Zane declared, narrowing his eyes at the brunette in question, truly not trusting him in the slightest bit. "I find it hard to swallow that you of all people could be so trusting of an outsider like him."

"We're very different people, brother." Syrus muttered, not too fond of his brother's own rude behavior himself. Feeling Jaden's hand on his shoulder, Syrus glanced up at his new friend.

“Don’t worry, Sy.” Jaden assured, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze. “It'll all be okay. Besides, your brother’s right. I have to figure out who I am. And I think it's kinda obvious whoever I am, no one knows me here, so my answers have to be somewhere else.” Smiling slightly for his dejected friend Jaden hoped he could make him feel even a little better about the whole thing. 

“Then it’s settled.” Aster said, scribbling something down on his clipboard again before looking back to the brunette. “In three days time, Mr. Yuki will begin his journey across the twelve dimensions. I suggest you get a good night’s rest. There will be much for you to do.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Jaden answered, nodding at Aster before respectfully offering a bow to Zane. But still he worried about his future. Jaden was fully aware that not everyone was like these people, not everyone would be willing to help a poor soul like him. But still, this was something that he knew full well he had to do. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Very well.” Aster said, nodding to the brunette before finishing the notes he was scribbling down on his notepad. “You are both excused.”

Nodding in acknowledgement Jaden gave another quick and respectful bow to Zane before turning to leave the throne room, quickly followed by Syrus as they made their way back to the guest quarters. 

_“I may not know anything about myself, or the world in general…But I know they’re right.”_ Jaden thought as he and Syrus walked together down the halls in silence, contemplating everything they had heard. _“If I’m gonna figure out who I am and where I came from, I can’t just stay here. I have to go.”_ walking in silence they soon reached the quarters, where Jaden had planned to spend the rest of the night. _“But still, I can’t help but wonder..”_ reaching for the door handle, his hand began to tremble. Hesitance overcoming him in that moment as his thoughts continued to wander, and he contemplated his fate. _“What’ll be waiting for me on the other side…?”_


	3. Journey's Start

_**-Chapter 3-** _

"The time has come." Aster said calmly as he entered Jaden's room, clipboard in hand as always he took note of this moment. The last few days had been almost nothing but preparation for that day. The day where Jaden would be sent to begin his journey through the dimensions. They had all done their best to impart even a little wisdom into the boy, educating him in the basics of the art of dimensional travel as well as a few practical skills which Syrus had taken upon himself to help Jaden learn. A few of the guards had even taken it upon themselves to teach him how to fight. After all, self defense was integral to survival, and just his deck wouldn't be enough to protect him in a battle. Jaden had become quickly acclimated to the style of the short blade, a thin blade only slightly larger than a dagger. Of course such a close quarters combat style wasn't ideal but he took to the blade easier than any of the other weapons the soldier's tried to teach him to use, so it was determined that the blade would be the best fit for the brunette. Strapping the small blade to his belt Jaden stood from his seat on the side of the bed and nodded before exiting the room with Aster.

"You must be happy to be getting rid of me." Jaden said as they walked down the corridors along the way to their destination. It had been apparent from the first moment that both Aster and Zane didn't exactly like him, and quite frankly he figured they were probably more than ready to see him go. It didn't quite bother him too much, but he figured he might as well inquire. Better than walking in silence after all.

"I beg your pardon?" Aster asked, turning his gaze slightly in Jaden's direction, actually taking a short break from jotting down notes on his clipboard for once. "Just what are you suggesting?"

"Look, I know you and his majesty don't like me very much, Aster." Jaden said, shrugging his shoulders dismissively as he continued to speak, "That much is clear from all the dirty looks you two give me all the time. It's because Sy trusts me and you don't. Isn't it?"

"First of all, you will address the prince as his highness or his majesty." Aster said flatly, adjusting his tie, stopping immediately before they could make their way down the corridor down to the courtyard any further. "And second. I don't know who you are, who you were, or who you _think_ you are. And quite frankly I don't care. Connection to the Celestials or not, I couldn't care less about you. And to be honest I'd rather his highness not be so familiar with you. I don't trust you as far as I could throw you." his eyes were icy and indifferent, narrowing his eyes as he kept them forward, not sparing the brunette even a sideways glance. "But once you leave here, I don't ever want to see your face again. And I assure you, my king feels the same. As far as he and I are concerned, you aren't to be trusted. It's true, we have been hospitable to you thus far, but believe me the prince is the _only_ one here that trusts you. And if that trust brings him any harm I assure you, you will answer to the wrath of not only his majesty, but myself as well. Remember that."

"Noted." Jaden nodded, though still not entirely understanding their temperament when it came to Syrus. "But it seems to me, he's not a little kid, he can make his own decisions. What's the big deal?"

"Of course an outsider like _you_ wouldn't understand." Aster scoffed, rolling his eyes at Jaden's question. "It is not a matter of age or personal choices. His highness is far too valuable to risk consorting with the likes of you."

"Valuable?" Jaden raised an eyebrow at the advisor, quite frankly not caring for the way Aster was speaking about Syrus. "You're making him sound more like an object than a person."

"Oh come off it. That's ridiculous." Aster dismissed, aware of what Jaden was talking about, though that wasn't quite his intention. "You'll see soon enough, but his highness possesses a certain power that many would seek to claim, to use to their advantage." Scribbling on his clipboard as usual, Aster continued to explain however irritated he was that he was even indulging Jaden for a second. Though of course he only did so since there was no reason he could immediately see not to. "In the past, many have tried absconding with him, though that was before my time as his majesty's advisor."

"Well that explains a few things." Jaden muttered under his breath, remembering just how protective of Syrus everyone around here seemed to be, though still he didn't at all care for how rude Aster in particular had been to him over the last few days if he even so much as looked at Syrus in his and Zane's presence. Besides, Syrus didn't seem to be too fond of the over protecting himself.

"Not a soul has tried to harm or steal the prince away in more than a few years, and we aren't going to risk his safety nor the security of this dimension on _your_ account." Aster declared, frustratedly scribbling more notes down on his clipboard before picking up his pace again, determined to get rid of Jaden as soon as possible.

"I'd be a fool to expect otherwise." Jaden replied quietly, returning his gaze forward as they walked the rest of the way in a tense silence, soon entering the courtyard. Making their way outside they were met by Syrus and Zane, who had been patiently awaiting their arrival.

"Good morning." Zane said, nodding in acknowledgement as the two approached him and Syrus, who were accompanied themselves by more than a few guards as usual. "I trust you're prepared, Jaden?"

"I am." Jaden nodded, his freshly acquired resolve showing true. "Besides, even if I weren't there'd be no getting out of this anyway, right?"

"You assume correctly, Jaden." Zane answered plain, doubtless finding it pointless to sidestep around the subject. Aster hadn't been entirely wrong before after all, Zane too did want Jaden gone. Syrus seemed to be the only one of the three that had any truly positive views on the young man, and even then those views were certainly frowned upon by Zane and Aster. But Jaden would be gone soon, so they made at least a slight effort to be civil. Of course Aster had failed miserably before, but it didn't seem to bother Jaden too terribly much, though he certainly would have preferred more civility.

"If you would, your majesty."Aster said, nodding to Syrus before taking a step back from the center of the courtyard where they were congregated. "It's time."

"O-Oh!" Syrus exclaimed, quickly nodding his head as he snapped out of his moment of silent thought. "Yes, of course!" quickly taking his place in the center of the group a small blue glow enveloped the young prince. Placing his hands out in front of his body a blue orb of light appeared between his hands, slowly growing in size. Stepping back a small ways the orb grew until it became about as big as the prince himself before flattening from a sphere into a circle, a swirling blue mass overtaking the solid light it was before. Waiting there for a moment Syrus lowered his arms, as such the glow engulfing his body ceased.

"Whoa!" Jaden gasped, his eyes widening at the spectacle he had just witnessed. "What did you just do!?"

"I opened a dimensional portal." Syrus explained, turning to his new friend. "All across the twelve dimensions there are places where the veil between them is able to be broken and traveled through. That's how most people travel between the twelve dimensions."

"But his highness is a…special case." Aster added, taking note of what had happened just as he had every other occurrence in his entire time at the castle no doubt. "If you had the memory or intellect to recall our previous conversation I'm sure you would remember what I told you."

"Alright, now you're just being nasty." Jaden accused, almost glad he was leaving if it meant he didn't have to deal with such treatment anymore.

"You see, Jaden." Zane interrupted, what little patience he had quickly being spent. "Syrus is one of a rare few who possesses the ability to create dimensional portals anywhere he needs to. Most people have to go to certain locations to breach the veil. And as you can tell, this is not one of those places." he said, placing a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Only a select few across all of the twelve dimensions' recorded history have possessed this power. It's an extremely rare ability, one most would never live to see in use. Syrus is the first to possess it in over a century."

"That's so cool!" Jaden exclaimed, his attitude turning on a dime as his face beamed with joy and admiration, quite impressed by his little friend. "You're amazing, Sy!"

"W-Well I.." Syrus blushed, not used to being praised like that, honestly by anyone. He wasn't typically allowed to use his ability on account of how dangerous it could potentially be, but there wasn't any other way to get Jaden out of the ninth dimension without leaving the castle grounds, which Syrus was also not allowed to do on account of how dangerous it could also be for him. And even inside the grounds Zane had strict orders that Syrus was to have an escort anywhere that didn't regularly have guards posted. From what Jaden had observed it seemed that protecting Syrus was the main prerogative of most everyone in the castle, and after Aster's explanation it all made much more sense.

"Now, this portal should take you to the fifth dimension." Aster explained, taking a step forward and nudging Syrus subtly away from Jaden and closer to Zane as he stood between the brunette and the royal brothers. "They're our closest allies, so you shouldn't have any trouble there coming from here. But I advise you not to go seek out trouble while you're looking for answers about yourself. You're enough trouble on your own."

"I agree." Zane nodded, placing his hand on Syrus' shoulder as his eyes locked on Jaden's own, noticing the slight angry sneer he was shooting Aster's way after all his rude remarks. "The fifth dimension's prince has been declining steadily since the princess disappeared. I suggest you stay out of these affairs if you don't want trouble with the citizens. The fifth dimension has always been rather private with their internal affairs. They won't take kindly to an outsider meddling."

"Uh, yeah, sure." Jaden said, nodding at Zane in response.

" _But you know I doubt he would've told me about it if he didn't want me to do something about it…or at the very least look into it maybe? I mean I wouldn't have even thought about it if he didn't say anything."_ He thought, taking one last look around, taking in the sight of the castle once more before he had to leave. Odds were that he wouldn't be seeing the place for quite some time after he left. Might as well take it in while he still had the chance.

"Uh, Jaden…?" Syrus asked, his large gray eyes peering up at the taller brunette he had quickly become close to. His tone was soft, almost as if he was hesitant to speak up on the matter he was going to inquire about. But with Aster and Zane around, it was hard not to.

"Yeah?" Jaden inquired, cocking his head slightly as he waited for his friend to finish. "What's up, Sy?"

"Well, um..." Syrus started, drawing into himself slightly, nervous about what he was about to say. Looking down at the ground for a moment he clasped his right hand around his left arm, giving it a slight squeeze before looking back to his friend. "We'll see each other again sometime. Won't we?"

Jaden's eyes widened slightly as the question hit his ears. Glancing slightly in Aster's direction he remembered what the silver haired advisor had said to him. If he saw Jaden's face around here again…

"Of course, Syrus." Jaden answered, offering a small nod of reassurance as his eyes turned back to his small, royal friend. Of course, he knew full well how Aster felt. That had been made more than clear earlier. But Syrus was his friend. And nothing was going to keep him from keeping that friendship alive if he had anything to say about it. Taking a step forward he placed a hand on Syrus' small shoulder, smiling at the little bluenette. "But for now, I've gotta go. I have to find out who I am and where I came from. And what it is I'm supposed to do. Besides, I don't think Aster and his majesty want me around any longer."

"Alright.." Syrus nodded offering a small smile back to Jaden, though he was more disheartened than he let on. He'd never had a true friend before…and now he had to leave…

"It's time, Jaden." Zane interjected, placing his own hand back on his little brother's tiny shoulder, pulling him back away from Jaden, earning a frown from the brunette in question. "The portal won't stay open for long."

"Right." Jaden nodded, stepping back from the royals before offering a respectful bow. "Thank you for your hospitality and generosity. I hope once I figure out who I am and all that…I'll be able to repay you."

"Find your answers." Zane said, his gaze as serious as his tone as he looked upon the young brunette. "Then perhaps we'll discuss it another time."

"Of course." Jaden nodded, turning to face the portal. This was it, his journey would begin as soon as he stepped inside, but he hesitated for a moment. It wasn't exactly fear that stopped him, he had given up on being scared by the idea of being alone by that point. But what it really was that stopped him in that moment, he couldn't figure it out. Taking another moment he looked back to Syrus who was looking back at him. Nodding to the brunette, Syrus offered a small smile, reassuring him that everything would be alright.

"See you guys later." Jaden said, bowing one last time to the royal brothers before stepping forward into the swirling blue portal. As soon as he made contact with the ethereal light, the blue light overcame every bit of his vision as his body was pulled from one dimension to the other. The sensation was similar to that which he felt falling out of the sky. A strong wind rushing around his body, except this time it felt like he was being pulled by an invisible force. If it had lasted longer than a few seconds he might have screamed. But within only moments the portal disappeared, and Jaden found himself standing in the middle of a forest.

" _So this is the fifth dimension..?"_ Jaden thought, looking around at his surroundings, taking in the sight of the trees, and the afternoon breeze playing with the branches, fluttering his bangs around his face.

"Y'know, it's really pretty here.." he said, fully aware he was now talking to himself. But that really didn't bother him too much. It was better than the alternative of silence. Walking slowly through the forest Jaden took in every sight around him, studying it all as he made his way through the trees. The forest was as beautiful as any fairy tale would be, lush green grass covered every inch of the ground around him, wildflowers grew in all manner of colors and kinds, splashing the ground with even more color making it even more scenic. Tall trees stretched to the sky all around, with a thick canvas of green leaves in the sky. In every direction he could hear the chirping of the birds. It was the most beautiful thing Jaden had ever heard and seen so far in his short memory. The place was absolutely stunning.

"Wow…" he quietly exclaimed, not wanting to disturb the peace of his surroundings, but also not wanting to remain silent. Silence allowed the mind to wander, and sometimes a wandering mind was more trouble than it was worth in certain moments. Especially when the mind in question happened to be empty. If he allowed his mind to wander Jaden found himself ending up contemplating his life and existence, it was scary in a way. But the beautiful scenery around him was enough to draw his thoughts away from such wonders. Making himself have an existential crisis wouldn't exactly be helpful to him. In fact, it would be pretty terrible actually. He didn't have time to sit around freaking out about his purpose in life, since that was what he was going on this whole quest to learn in the first place. Looking around for another moment Jaden felt a deep sting in his chest, the shock from the sudden pain nearly knocking him down to his knees. Clutching his chest Jaden could hear a few discomforted grunts make their way out of his lips before he could even register making them. The pain only lasted a few seconds, but to Jaden it felt much longer.

"What was that about…?" He whispered quietly to himself, taking one last look at his surroundings to see if there was anything around that could explain it, but unfortunately there wasn't. Shaking his head for a moment he remembered how he had gotten there, dismissing the idea that anything was wrong. "Probably just some kind of side effect from dimension hopping or something." Returning to his main prerogative he kept that experience in the back of his mind, not entirely convinced there wasn't something odd about it, but not worried enough to pay it too much mind.

"I wonder if there's anyone else around here…?" Jaden wondered to himself, looking around to check for any signs of civilization somewhere around him. Of course, he was less than satisfied with the fruitless results. "There's gotta be a town or something nearby, I mean, I can't just keep wandering alone forever…" sighing to himself, Jaden pressed forward, keeping his eyes scanning the horizon in all directions. After all, if it got dark before he found anyone or anyplace things could get dangerous…and just his small blade probably wouldn't be enough to defend him if there was anything really dangerous hiding out, waiting for a chance to strike an unsuspecting passerby. But of course, in that event he did have his deck to offer an extra bit of help. Though he still had a desire to avoid trouble at any cost. Continuing his surveillance of the area, Jaden's gorgeous brown eyes caught a glimpse of smoke in the distance among the trees. The kind of smoke that indicated not a devastating fire, but some type of civilization or homestead. For once it seemed the universe was working in his favor. Though of course the possibility of a hostile party was still real, it was a risk he was willing to take if it meant he wouldn't have to spend the night alone in the woods.

"Sweet!" He exclaimed, smiling widely as he took off towards the smoke, his pace accelerating to a swift jog rather than a full run. After all, he figured he would do well not to tire himself out. Energy would be paramount to a decent first impression. Making his way towards the smoke Jaden slowed down as he noticed the trees dispersing more thinly around him, no doubt there was a clearing nearby and considering that's where the home most likely was, better to enter slowly as not to frighten the inhabitants. Slowing back down to a leisurely pace Jaden made it to the edge of the clearing. Poking out from behind a tree to observe the scene, he could see a small log cabin by the far edge of the small clearing, smoke coming from the chimney. Outside the cabin was a small wooden barn, just big enough for maybe one or two animals. Really it looked more like a slightly larger than normal shed. Beside the shed-like barn stood an elegant looking brown horse with white splotches interspersed over its body and a beautiful white mane. Investigating further Jaden's eyes landed on the first human he had seen in this dimension, a girl looking to be about his age, so in about her mid teens. She had lovely long blonde hair that cascaded down her back and bangs that covered her forehead. She seemed to be somewhat scantily clad, but in all honesty Jaden wasn't exactly sure what scantily clad meant, and even then she wasn't nearly as scantily clad as one would think. Her top consisted of a white strapless bra-like top sufficiently covering her breasts, along with a blue covering lined with gold, which in truth only covered the skin between her neck and shoulders, leaving her chest relatively open. Directly under her breasts a golden band with a blue fabric held in the center around her torso held her top in place. The blue silky fabric hung loosely around her sides and circled around her back, serving as the only thing covering her stomach. Around her biceps Jaden could see silver bands adorning them. Her skirt however, left little to the imagination. A white, stiff looking fabric with a blue strip on the bottom lined and separated into rectangles with silver trim wrapped around the back of her waist from one side to the other only going down to a short distance above her knees. Held together by two circular silver clasps pinning the two sides to a similarly textured blue fabric, also lined with silver and a silver piece in the shape of a diamond in the center. That piece was much shorter, only going midway down her upper leg and cut triangularly towards the bottom, and keeping his eyes away from there once he noticed the open space between sections which showcased her upper thighs, though she was wearing deep black shorts underneath. Two silver pieces fashioned as diamond shapes decorated her knees like a sort of knee pad or guard. She wore blue heeled boots that went slightly above her ankles, and long white stockings reached just below her knees. And finally, taking a step closer Jaden could see silver bracelets around her wrists, a triangle of blue fabric covering the backs of her hands and connected to silver rings on her middle fingers. She truly was a beautiful young woman, but there was something a little off putting about her. In her hands she held a large, heavy looking great-sword. The black, relatively slim hilt in her hand was home to a great steel blade, wider in width at the base it curved into a slightly slimmer blade in the center before curving back to its original width, and the edge was pointed. Swinging it effortlessly she seemed to be training, as if she had a battle ahead of her.

"Scary…" Jaden whispered to himself before taking another step forward. Noticing the new human, the horse let out a great neigh, rearing up on its back legs effectively catching the girl's attention. Turning swiftly in Jaden's direction her eyes narrowed, and she raised her sword, pointing it at him as her voice boomed across the clearing.

"Who goes there!?" She demanded, her pale hazel eyes angry and cold as she kept her sword trained on the unidentified trespasser. "Identify yourself!"

"Whoa, Whoa, easy there lady!" Jaden answered, raising his arms up in surrender as he moved slowly and cautiously closer to the young woman. "My name is Jaden Yuki. I come in peace."

"What are you doing here?" She questioned, her sword still trained on the stranger as she slowly stepped closer, the tip of her blade inching ever closer to the boy's chest. "How did you find this place?"

"I came out of a portal into the woods, and I was looking for civilization. That's all." Jaden answered honestly, trying to appease the scary lady with the big sword who could clearly very easily cut him up into little tiny pieces if she deemed it necessary. Raising an eyebrow at the brunette, the girl lowered the blade slightly, but still maintaining her guard.

"Where did you come from?" She inquired, growing more curious as she continued observing the trespasser.

"Well, I came here from the ninth dimension I guess." Jaden shrugged, still not quite an expert on the whole multiple dimension thing, "Originally though? I have no idea."

"Excuse me..?" She asked, confused by what the boy was saying. How did he not know where he was from? That notion was completely absurd to her as of course it would be to most people in her position. It wasn't every day a stranger showed up and told her he didn't know where he was originally from.

"Look, I know it sounds strange, but it's the truth." Jaden explained, lowering his arms now that he saw she was no longer pointing her sword at him, though he still took caution with every move he made. "I have no memories before I showed up in the ninth dimension. So I don't actually know where I'm _actually_ from. In fact, before I met the prince and he taught me about society and stuff, I hardly knew anything at all. Just my name." he continued, fully aware he was either seriously confusing her or freaking her out. But there was no getting out of that now, after all he had already begun. Taking his deck out of the box on the side of his true waistline he extended his hand to her, offering her a closer look at the cards. "Also, that this deck is mine. I don't expect you to believe me, but I swear it's the truth."

Sighing, the girl shook her head and looked back to him.

"Okay, this is a lot to handle. So you just showed up in the ninth dimension with no idea who you are, and the prince taught you, and then sent you out here, is that it?"

"W-Well there's more to it than-"

"-Look _you're_ not very convincing, and _I_ don't have time for this. I have my own problems to deal with, so why don't you just shut up, and move along before I decide to stick my sword in your chest?" She asserted, tightening her grip on the hilt of her blade. Her tone was stern and strained, like she held a deep frustration within herself. A frustration Jaden was only making worse with his tale, as unbelievable as he realized it was telling it to her. But something told him her feelings ran deeper than just her being distrusting of him. But it was clear from her temperament that that was the case.

"Whoa, no need for that." Jaden protested, quickly shaking his head as he waved his arms in front of her, honestly scared she would decide to stab him.

"Then you'd better get out of here fast." She advised, turning away from the strange boy, "I don't have time to deal with this right now." She sighed quietly, shaking her head before turning back to him slightly. "Look, I can point you in the direction of town but that's all. Maybe someone there will actually believe you and know what the hell you're talking about."

"I understand why you don't believe me, I know my story's kinda crazy, but lady I promise you everything I've said to you is true." Jaden insisted, hoping that maybe she would change her mind about not believing him, but he figured that was kinda a long shot at this point. From what he could tell, if she was anything it was stubborn. Not always a bad thing, but still he wished people would stop treating him so coldly when they meet him.

"Oh I'm sure." She scoffed, sticking the end of her sword into the ground before crossing her arms, shifting her weight to her right leg as she looked apathetically at the brunette.. "Town's that way." tilting her head towards the western side of the clearing she indicated where he needed to go. "You'd better get going, it'll be dark soon." Eyeing the small blade he carried at his side, she chuckled under her breath, not at all impressed. "Wouldn't wanna have to fight at night with a toothpick like that."

"What, my sword?" Jaden asked, taking a look at the short blade at his side, raising an eyebrow as he looked back up at the girl before him, chuckling to herself before picking her own blade back up from the ground.

"Oh is _that_ what it's supposed to be?" She chuckled, brandishing the weapon. A slight smile crawled across her face, placing her free hand on her hip while her weight shifted to her left leg. "That's cute, kid."

"Uh…but you don't look any older than-"

"-Get going, there's not much time left before sundown, and no way are you staying here. I don't have time to babysit you." She ensured, turning and slowly walking back towards her home, done giving the boy the time of day. As far as she was concerned he was on his own. "Now get out of here."

"Wow, scary…" Jaden sighed as she entered her cabin, slamming the door behind her. Although she was right, it was getting darker by the minute, and getting stuck in the woods at night was definitely not what Jaden had in mind for his first night alone in a completely new place where he had a hundred percent no clue where to go or what to do. So like she said, getting a move on was probably the best thing for him to do.

" _Thanks for the help."_ He thought, waving to the cabin and horse before hurrying off into the forest again. By the looks of the sky, he only had about an hour left of daylight before he would have to wander in the dark, so finding town was going to have to happen quickly. Honestly he doubted there was anything dangerous in the forest considering apparently someone was living in it, but still he preferred not to take the chance. After all, he had things to do and information to learn. And on top of that, he had told Syrus that they would meet again. And that wasn't something he was willing to let become a lie. Syrus was the first and only friend he had ever had, and the only one who seemed to really trust him. No way was he going to let him down, not now. " _Hopefully town's not that far, it would suck to have to camp out in the woods alone."_ Darkness slowly crept up on him, but Jaden kept his steady pace, pressing forward into the green wood while he kept his eyes open and senses alert. Hopefully these townsfolk would be kinder to him than the ninth's had been now that he didn't stand out as much and wasn't falling from the sky. That was something he would just have to wait and find out for himself, he knew that. But one thing lingered in his mind, a thought that had been floating around since he left the ninth dimension. What -if anything- was he supposed to do about this dimension's prince..?


	4. City of Misfortune

_**-Chapter 4-** _

"Still nothing.." Jaden sighed, shaking his head in defeat as he exited the library. He had arrived in the town shortly after nightfall and had somehow managed to talk his way into getting a room at the inn. It was a quaint little rustic town, not quite as fairy tale as the ninth dimension though. This town's aesthetic had a sort of a quaint medieval elegance to it. The day's adventures of reading hadn't panned out quite like he hoped. Despite the vast library that the town possessed, there were hardly any books about the Neo Spacians Syrus had told him about, and certainly nothing cluing into his origin at all. Of course, Jaden wasn't one for reading, and he knew this all too well after experiencing the last few hours more or less giving himself a headache skimming through the many texts one of the librarians had brought him, thinking they would be helpful to the young brunette. Unfortunately, it seemed that that was not the case, in fact he felt like he knew even _less_ about all of this than he did already, and he hardly knew a thing at all. There didn't seem to be anything in the guide to dimensional travel he had skimmed over about experiencing a deep sting after passing through a portal either, so that hadn't been any help either. Not to mention a little concerning. Sighing again he looked around him, watching people simply pass him by, not at all standing out in the crowd for once. It was nice to blend in, not having anyone stare and whisper behind his back, though he knew what they had all been saying back in the ninth dimension. They would say how strange he looked, and gossiped about how he fell from the heavens. Nobody but Syrus truly trusted or even _liked_ him either, but here no one paid him any mind. To them, he was just a traveler passing through town, not some strange boy nobody trusted. And he certainly preferred it that way rather than the other. The other way definitely wasn't his preferred social situation.

"Well, I'd better keep looking I guess." He thought out loud to himself, placing the nail of his right thumb between his teeth as he continued thinking he lightly bit down on it, taking into account what his next move ought to be, since the library was next to no help in his search for information, and the library was the last place he suspected would be worthless to him in that regard. "Sooner or later I'll find something."

Walking through the streets Jaden took in his surroundings. He wasn't really able to see the town properly in the dim nighttime lights he had arrived in, the town really was lovely. Most of the buildings were made out of either stone or some form of brick despite the medieval sort of style. Tall metal poles stood on both sides of the street, torches secured to them serving as a kind of makeshift street lamp system, adding a great deal of atmosphere in the evening and later hours of the night with the soft fire light. Foliage lined the streets, adding a great color to the town. It reminded him of the ninth dimension's own castle town, but of course therein lied the difference. The castle here was far bigger, and even more elegant if that was possible. You could see it from literally anywhere you went in the town or even outside town. In fact the first thing Jaden had seen when he found the town was the castle itself looming over it all in its majestic splendor. Taking in the beauty of the castle town court Jaden's eyes beheld it with great esteem.

"Does _every_ dimension have castles like this..?" Jaden whispered to himself, beholding the grandeur of the palace for another moment before turning his head away. In a way it almost felt like a crime to look at it alone considering just how beautiful it was. Something about it just felt like it was meant to be viewed by two pairs of eyes rather than one. The feeling was odd, but he assumed he wasn't the only one who had that thought in their mind after finding themselves there alone. But that was just it, he was completely alone. Sighing quietly before turning away from the palace Jaden proceeded to wander the town again, trying to think of anywhere else he could go to try and find even the slightest bit of information. And on top of that, he thought about how alone he was now. In yet another completely new location, not a single clue as to what was going on, and not a companion in sight. Wandering through the square he wondered if that's how it was always going to be for him. Meandering around, jumping from one dimension to another, no answers, no company, and no memories to his name. And on top of that no clues at all about who he was supposed to be. And that thought was more than disheartening for him to say the least. Continuing on his merry way Jaden tried his best to keep his mind from wandering with him. With so little in there it was dangerous to let it go on its own, coming up with who knows what to replace what wasn't there to begin with. Looking around the quaint little buildings lining the streets Jaden's eyes landed on a familiar sight. Stopping for a second he gazed at the horse across the way. It looked just like the one that girl from the forest had, the distinct while splotches across it's flawless brown coat were a dead give away.

" _What's she doing here…?"_ He thought to himself. He hadn't seen her around, but with her horse out in plain sight he really didn't have to. But as he wondered, a thought occurred to him.

"Waaaait a second!" Jaden declared, a slight air of frustration coming over him. "If she was gonna come here anyway, then why did she make me bumble around like an idiot all by myself!?" Taking a quick second to ponder the question Jaden took a few steps back intending to begin the process of pacing as he wondered whether he should track her down and talk to her or not. Not paying attention to where he was stepping, Jaden felt a slight pressure his back collided with something solid behind him, the audible grunt from the form behind him confirming that he had just bumped into a person. Before he even had time to apologize, Jaden felt a rough hand grip his right wrist before he was unceremoniously whipped around to face the rather unhappy, disgruntled soul he had disrupted.

"Watch where you're goin', you little rat!" The man spat out, angrily glaring at the slightly disoriented youth in front of him. Squeezing the brunette's wrist the man kept his glare as he studied the boy's face, not about to let himself forget the urchin.

"I-I'm sorry, sir." Jaden stuttered, making an effort to pull his arm out of the man's rough grip he turned his eyes away from him, beginning to feel rather uneasy about the current encounter. "I-I didn't see you there, a-and I didn't mean to-"

"-Shut up." The man barked, not interested in hearing the child's excuses. "Don't think I've seen your face before." He examined.

"W-Well no," Jaden explained, having not learned that the man was not at all interested in what he had to say "see, I just got into town last night a-and-"

"-Didn't you hear me?" He asked, slightly annoyed with the teen in his grip, taking his free hand and gripping it tightly around Jaden's face, keeping him from looking away. "I thought I told you to shut up." peering into Jaden's now narrowed eyes the man frowned, unhappy to still have to be dealing with this little annoyance. "This is my town. And I don't take kindly to strangers walkin' around stirring up trouble. So I suggest, you behave yourself around here. Got it?"

Struggling in the man's grip, Jaden glared. To be honest, he didn't appreciate this guy's assholitry one bit. Continuing to try and pull his arm free and failing, he thought back to the training the soldiers back in the ninth dimension gave him. It wasn't much, but they did teach him a few self defense skills. Taking his free hand he grabbed the man's wrist, trying to push his hand away from his face Jaden had him distracted enough to gain the traction to pull the man's hand away from his face.

"Get off of me!" Jaden exclaimed, stomping down on the man, the heel of his boot digging into his foot. Letting out an instinctive cry, the man's grip on Jaden's arm loosened. Not about to let his window close, Jaden wrenched his arm free, further defending himself by quickly raising his right leg and landing a strong kick to the man's stomach, sending him stumbling back a few steps in a slightly disoriented state. Finally taking a second to glance back at his surroundings Jaden felt his stomach drop as he took notice of the rather decently sized posse that had formed around his assailant, who in turn, growled as he barked orders at his associates.

"Teach this little rat a lesson!" He shouted, a deep and fiery glare piercing into Jaden's soul while the newly formed posse slowly closed in on him, more than intending to do him harm.

 _"Well shit…"_ Jaden thought, weighing what few options he had to come up with a way to get out of this unscathed. But if he was being honest with himself, the odds weren't looking too great if he was gonna stand and fight. So it really looked like he only had one option.

Run.

"You're gonna regret crossin' the boss, kid." One of the posse members threatened, loudly cracking his knuckles while another drew a dagger from its sheath. Realizing the situation was worse than he thought, Jaden seriously wondered what the hell happened that got him in such a tight spot. One minute he was harmlessly walking through the town minding his own business, and the next he was in the grip of some random asshole who he assumed must be some gang leader or something considering how quickly such a stupid situation had escalated into a full on scene, and the fact that he had a whole goddamn posse. It was in that moment Jaden began to seriously regret ever stepping through that dimensional portal in the first place. Not that he had much choice in the matter anyway.

"Time to teach you what happens when you cross paths with Tantalus."

"L-Look guys," Jaden began, raising his hands up almost as if in surrender, although that was far from his plan "I don't want any trouble." Taking a few slow steps back, Jaden quickly glanced to either side of him, trying to find the best possible route for his escape. Fixating on an alley to his left he made a mental note before turning his eyes back to the enclosing posse, keeping a close eye on the weapons that were slowly being drawn. "So why don't we all just calm down, and I'll just…" letting his voice trail off as he lowered his arms back to his sides, before he could say another word Jaden bolted. Sprinting as fast as he possibly could out of the square and into the alleyway, the chorus of raised voices behind him told him immediately that the thugs had given chase and were no doubt closely on his trail, but Jaden didn't dare look back. Keeping his breath steady he listened closely for the gang following behind, trying to gauge just how much distance he had between himself and them, which thankfully seemed to be a decent amount. Jaden sincerely hoped he would be able to shake them.

"Excuse me!" Jaden shouted, waving his arms before quickly pushing through a small crowd that had formed on the back streets, completely unaware of the chase currently taking place around them.

 _"That should slow them down a bit!"_ He thought, hoping with his entire soul that that was true. Keeping up his pace he was hardly paying attention to the voices and general commotion going on behind him or in front of him, or just around him in general. In that particular moment all he cared about was getting away from the crazy assholes who clearly wanted to beat him up for accidentally bumping into their boss. Who the hell did those guys think they were anyway? Tuning back into reality for only a split second Jaden felt a slight pressure on his left arm and for the swiftest of moments gravity seemed to switch directions as he was involuntarily pulled into another alley off the side of the street he had been sprinting down. Letting out a disoriented gasp Jaden stumbled, turning his eyes to the person who now had a firm hold on his arm.

"Y-You!?" He gasped, his eyes widening for a moment, taking in the familiar face of the blonde girl he had met the previous night. Her general stern look still present on her face she quickly placed her finger up to her lips, warning him to keep quiet. After all, the gang was no doubt still on his trail. Standing in silence for a moment the girl seemed to spring immediately into action as the commotion from the street proper began to increase in volume. Not about to let the two of them be found she shoved Jaden down to the ground, hiding him behind a couple crates that were stacked somewhat haphazardly against the wall of the building to their right. Landing promptly on his ass and bumping his head against the building's wall, Jaden shot a slight glare her way.

"Hey! What's the big ide-"

Not allowing him to finish his exclamation the girl hastily dropped to her knees behind the crates as well, slapping her hand tightly over his mouth so he wouldn't blow their position.

"Quiet!" She ordered as her voice dropped to a harsh whisper. Locking her stern eyes with his own for only a moment she turned her head to the direction of the street, keeping what little of it she could see within her sights so she could tell when they had fully passed them by and they would be safe. Listening to the escalating volume of the approaching footsteps Jaden couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as well as extremely awkward being pressed up against a wall so close to a girl in an alley, something about that just didn't feel right. But given the present situation he was in, he was willing to let it slide. Holding his breath as the footsteps stopped beside them Jaden almost wanted to thank her for keeping her hand over his mouth. Had she just trusted him to be quiet, somehow he would've blown it and their cover would've been completely shot. Keeping his eyes trained on her rather than trying to look and see what little of the situation he may or may not be able to catch, she turned back to him before raising her finger to her lips again, shifting her gaze back to the goons now mere feet away from their hiding place.

"Where the hell did he go!?"

"Crafty little bastard, ain't he?"

Narrowing her eyes as they listened in on the conversation beside them the girl had half a mind to draw her sword and attack, though she knew that if she did it would only make the situation worse not only for the idiot she had elected to protect, but for herself as well. And she didn't have the time to be getting herself into trouble. Not if she wanted to save _him_ in time…

"C'mon, let's keep looking. He couldn't have gotten far!"

Waiting another silent moment in anticipation the goons finally made their way forwards, leaving the two teens behind undiscovered in the back alleys. Relaxing her body the girl let out a light sigh of relief, removing her hand from over Jaden's mouth as she descended from her knees to her butt for a second, taking a brief moment to sit before ascending back to her feet, offering her hand to Jaden to help him up from the stone ground.

"That was close." She said, pulling Jaden back to his feet she glanced one more time to the main road, even more relieved that there was no one in sight. "You're lucky you weren't caught. Those Tantalus bastards aren't exactly the friendliest bunch." Crossing her arms just beneath her breasts she frowned, turning her gaze diagonally to the ground beneath them, her voice as well lowered to a simple mumble. "They think they own the world. And they've already gone too far.."

"Huh..?" Jaden questioned, raising an eyebrow at her for a second, tilting his head slightly to the left he wondered just what in the world she was talking about, as well keeping his eyes averted from her chest like a gentleman.

"Nothing, never mind." She answered back, shaking her head before locking eyes with him again. "You should lay low for a while. Tantalus doesn't take too kindly to people they decide they don't like."

"Who even are these guys anyway?" Jaden asked, poking his head out of the alley for a second, looking in the direction they had gone, only getting about two seconds before being forcibly pulled back in by the blonde, frowning upon Jaden's action.

"They're a centuries old group." She explained, a deep and heavy sigh escaping her lips as she herself thought over the words she was saying. "They began as a group of outcasts and fanatics who believed they were the rightful rulers of this dimension. And for as long as they could, they tried to overthrow and dethrone the royal family. But each time they made a move, they failed."

"Well that's good." Jaden said, taking in everything she was telling him. Listening carefully he could hear slight tremors in her voice, as if just thinking about these people was enough to distress her.

"Yes, well in more recent years the group has become far more radical than they've ever been." She elaborated, starting to sound almost angry. "They carry themselves like they own the universe. You saw just how self absorbed and entitled they think they are first hand, didn't you?" sighing in frustration again she continued before he had the chance to speak again. "They've been trying to take over this dimension since the group was formed many centuries ago, but they haven't ever gotten close. Not until now."

"What do you mean..?"

"Ever since the princess disappeared, the prince has been in a steady decline, and he's become ill with grief. Which makes him vulnerable." Sighing for probably the thousandth time she kept her eyes trained on Jaden as her tone hardened. "A depressed and helpless prince isn't great for us, but he's damn well better than what those maniacs would be."

"I guess so." Jaden agreed, trying to think just how bad things were sure to be with what seemed to be a borderline terrorist group in charge. "But, what's your deal? I mean…I remember you telling me you had your own problems to deal with, and yet here you are helping me when you wouldn't before." Placing a hand on his hip, for once Jaden was the one frowning at her. "I don't get you. I mean, why?"

"Don't get me wrong," She began, crossing her arms again, seemingly peering into his soul with her serious and somewhat cold expression. "If it wasn't Tantalus after you, I probably would have just minded my own business. But lucky for you, I hate them enough to put my business briefly on hold." scoffing quietly under her breath she shook her head, eager to drop the conversation and get on with her present mission.

" _I'm running out of time. If I don't get there soon…he'll be…"_

"Then what's the deal with you and Tantalus?" Jaden inquired, raising an eyebrow after picking up on the wavers and tremors returning to her voice. "Why do you hate them so much? Did they do something to you?"  
"You could say that." She mumbled, her thoughts drifting back to her self appointed task, her sense of urgency only continuing to grow. "My family has been loyal to the throne for generations. And just within the last few days, those Tantalus bastards dealt them a devastating blow." lowering her arms she clenched her fists in anger and rage, lowering her head slightly she continued to speak. "They stormed the castle and somehow they were able to take the prince captive."

"Seriously!?" Jaden gasped, hardly able to believe such a thing would be possible. And on top of that, he wondered how he hadn't heard a single word about it from the townspeople. After all, the prince being taken captive certainly seemed like a newsworthy event to him. "That's terrible!"

"Trust me. I know." She nodded, her strong and stoic demeanor returning to her as she straightened back to her full stature, the fire in her eyes burning hotter than Jaden had noticed before. To be honest, she almost looked scary to him like that. "That's why I'm here. To save him."

"All by yourself?"

"Well clearly no one else can." She growled, her knuckles almost turning white with how hard she was clenching them. "If there was a single warrior among them, the so-called "guards" would have been able to keep the prince from being captured in the first place!"

"Whoa…" Jaden exclaimed, taking a step back from her for a second, not expecting her to get so worked up over a simple question, but clearly her feelings on the matter were the exact opposite of simple. Realizing her outburst she sighed again, taking a second to calm down.

"So yes." She confirmed, seriously wanting the conversation to come to a swift end. "I'm going alone. It's the only way to save him." Turning her back to Jaden she stopped only for a moment "Sorry, but I can't babysit you anymore. If I don't get to him soon…he'll die…"

"All the more reason you shouldn't go alone!" Jaden objected, quickly reaching out his hand and grabbing her arm before she could walk away from him. He couldn't quite understand what it was, but something inside of him was screaming at him to do something. To help her in any way he could. Of course, he knew she wouldn't exactly be thrilled with the idea, in fact he figured she would outright refuse. But in that moment, something told him he couldn't just let her go alone. Warrior or not, taking on an entire group of radical fanatics who were clearly skilled enough fighters to take the prince captive was too dangerous for one person to do alone. "It's too dangerous!"

"And what do you know about danger?" She scoffed, effortlessly pulling her arm free of Jaden's rather mediocre grip. "If I recall correctly you yourself said you had no memories. That you've spent all the time you can remember with the ninth dimension's prince. The most over protected person in all the twelve dimensions." clenching only one first this time she turned her gaze away, not wanting to look him in the eye again. "You don't know _anything._ "

"Maybe I don't." Jaden countered, his own expression hardening he kept his eyes trained on her, not about to let her go on alone. Whether she knew it or not, it was for her own good. Especially in the emotional state he had long since realized she was in. "But I can't just stand here and let you go in there alone. After all, you saved me, and you didn't have to. You've helped me twice now already." Offering her a soft smile, he tilted his head slightly, lightly patting the blade he wore on his hip. "The least I can do is offer my sword to you. To help you once."

"I'd hardly call that toothpick a sword." She chuckled, glancing to her own blade laying across her back, remembering how she had made fun of his short blade the first time they had met too. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

"Then please, let me do this for you!" Jaden begged, taking her hand into his own for a moment he held it tight, but still there was a gentleness to his firm grip. Keeping his eyes locked on hers she could see the sparks of courage and determination in them. Sparks she had long been watching fade from the eyes of nearly everyone around her. Almost taken aback by him she only listened to what he still had to say. "You know as well as I do that the prince would have a better chance with two saviors over one. For his sake, please let me help you."

"You'll only follow me if I say no." She sighed, knowing full well what he said was true. As much as she wanted to go through with her plan alone, she knew it would be a fool's errand. Even if she made it inside the castle undetected, which for a warrior of her caliber she doubted would be an issue, there was no guarantee she would be able to take down all of the Tantalus agents inside the castle and rescue the prince without incident. So as much as she hated to admit it, he did have a point after all.

"You're right." he nodded, letting go of her hand now that he knew she wouldn't just up and leave. Sighing, she placed her left hand on her hip, her right making its way up to her forehead.

"Fine." She conceded, still not entirely thrilled, but if it gave the prince a fighting chance, she was willing to let him tag along. "Just stay out of the way and don't do anything stupid, alright? I told you, I don't have time to babysit you."

"You know, I may not have much experience with literally anything, but I'm not completely helpless." Jaden protested, pouting a little at her continuous insinuation to the contrary.

"Whatever." She dismissed, not about to believe that until she saw some actual proof to support his claim, because from what she had witnessed it was he who was mistaken, not her. "Just try not to blow this for me, got it? If anything happens to him because of you I'll make sure you live to regret it!"

"I promise." Jaden assured, nodding before offering her a cheeky smile, the first he had ever shown to her.

"Good. Then we'd better get going." She nodded, satisfied now that he had given her his word. She still felt uneasy inside, but given the circumstances and the situation she was getting herself involved in she wasn't exactly surprised by that. In fact, to be honest she would be more concerned if she _didn't_ feel nervous now.

"Right." Jaden nodded, taking a step to follow her out of the alley he stopped, realizing that all this time he had let an extremely important detail pass him by. "Oh! By the way, since we're working together now…shouldn't I know your name..?"

Stopping dead in her tracks before she could even think to take another step the blonde stiffened. It was true, even though he had told her his own name the first time their paths had crossed, despite the fact she was holding him at sword-point at the time, she had never told him hers. Although, that information wasn't typically something she handed out to people. She preferred people not to know anything about her. It made it harder for her presence to be noticed, which made it easier for her to plot against Tantalus in peace. If she could manage it she would've kept him in the dark concerning her identity forever, it would probably be safer for them both that way. But knowing what little she did about him, she knew he wouldn't let it go until she indulged him at this point. But besides that, something inside of her told her that she could trust him. Sighing she let herself loosen back up, keeping her back turned to him she slowly resumed her pace, leaving him to follow behind.

"Alexis."

"Well, it's good to finally meet you, Alexis." Jaden smiled, taking in the moment for a second before hurrying to follow her out of the alley once she was certain the coast was clear. Sticking close to her Jaden kept an eye out for any potential trouble. Considering the mission the two were now setting themselves on he knew it would behoove them to stay out of any trouble before they were in position to throw themselves head long into it. And rescuing a prince from certain death too. Definitely not what Jaden thought he would be doing almost immediately after coming to an entirely new dimension. It was an almost overwhelming thought, but he thoroughly believed that between the two of them they would have enough skill to succeed. True, he wasn't too familiar with Alexis's abilities, but from what he had experienced and observed he could tell she was no amateur. Not like he was, that was for sure. But either way, he also could see in her eyes that nothing was going to stop her from completing her task. If he didn't know any better he would assume there was more to what she had told him, which of course he certainly figured. But what he _did_ know was that if he tried to ask about it she would probably run him through with her almost absurdly large sword with almost no hesitation. So instead he simply opted to trust her. Turning his eyes back to her for a second he saw the same fire and determination she had been exuding almost the entire time he had known her. Leading him through the back alleys of the castle town she barely said a single word other than to tell him to stay close or to hide when she saw a Tantalus straggler further down the road. There was a certain air about her, one he couldn't quite place. Although from what he could place, it felt like a deep seated anger. But still, what he could feel beyond any other feeling from her…it was almost like a deep sadness…

Taking another passing glance at her Jaden stopped for a second. Focusing on the slight profile of her face, he could've sworn he could see her outer strength begin to waver.

 _"Is that…a tear…?"_ He thought, keeping his mouth shut as they stood waiting for a Tantalus agent to pass by, not about to blow their cover, but also he knew if he asked she would only be angry with him.

Standing there on the edge of the street, poking her head ever slightly beyond the wall hiding them from the street adjacent, Alexis kept her eyes on the Tantalus agent, clenching her fists tightly she grit her teeth and glared so hard that if looks could kill, she knew for a fact she could have done this on her own like she wanted. Feeling the tears forming in her eyes she quickly shook her head, calming herself for a moment she glanced up at the castle, inching ever closer as she and Jaden made their way through town. The only thing she cared about was there. Locked away inside those empty and despondent stone walls. The one thing she was prepared to risk her life for. Sighing she took a moment to collect herself, keeping her composure she grabbed Jaden's arm, picking up their pace to a jog she could tell they were running even shorter on time now.

_"I'm coming, Atticus…hold on…"_


	5. Vendetta

_**-Chapter 5-** _

"So…you never actually told me where we're going exactly?" Jaden questioned, knowing they were going to the castle obviously, but what she had neglected to explain while he was blindly ²following her through town, was exactly _how_ she planned on getting them inside undetected. Clearly she must have had a plan, and now that he was a part of it, Jaden felt like he should at least know even a _little bit_ about what the fresh hell was actually going on.

"I know a secret entrance into the palace." Alexis explained, keeping her voice down she took into account how close in proximity they had gotten, plotting out the remainder of their course. "A small breach in the wall along the west end. By happenstance, I discovered it a few months ago. With Tantalus taking over the place most of the security will be stationed near the prince. So I doubt we'll have too much trouble getting through the wall. Getting to the _prince_ on the other hand…" sighing she led him to the outer edge of the west end, the walls separating the castle grounds from the town only about two more streets away.

"Yeah, I doubt that'll be too easy." Jaden agreed, taking a look at the castle looming over them. Getting around the place undetected he assumed would be a rather difficult task. "Besides, if they captured him then he's probably locked up in the dungeon or something. Can't imagine the security would be too lax there."

"No, I doubt that." Alexis answered back, shaking her head she kept close to the wall, ever watchfully keeping her eyes moving she led him down the western side of the palace wall. "The last thing they'd do is save the prince's dignity by locking him in the dungeon. No, they'd want to humiliate him before they kill him. Strip him of his pride."

"So then what exactly are you suggesting..?" Jaden questioned, taking note of just how easy it was for them to get this far. It was more than a little suspicious, though he did think that maybe if they were really so close to killing the prince then maybe they had all just congregated together. But still, something about the whole thing seemed a little off. Surely Alexis had noticed too, hadn't she? They had hardly seen a Tantalus agent at all since the extremely close call she had managed to save him from. But from what Jaden had observed since then, it really did seem like she couldn't care less about anything other than the prince. But after making such a fuss over him before, Jaden wondered why they hadn't had any other problems with them. Like, what the actual hell was going on around here anyway?

"I'm not even sure myself." Alexis confessed, turning back to him for a second she stopped, taking a moment to think. "It's just a gut feeling, I guess. You know?"

"I guess?" Jaden answered, honestly not exactly sure what she meant, but it still felt good not being the only one that had no idea what was going on. Of course no matter what she still had a better idea than he did, but for once it seemed she didn't know the answer, which somehow was reassuring to him as much as it was slightly concerning.

"Well, either way we're here." She dismissed, pointing to the small break in the base of the wall where a small stream seemed to flow through the sturdy iron bars that blocked the entrance. But thankfully, they looked to be placed just far enough apart for them to be able to squeeze through. It would be a tight fit, but she figured they should be able to make it. "This little stream flows through the back gardens. We should be able to find a way inside from there."

"How do you know?" Jaden questioned, raising an eyebrow at his blonde companion. She definitely seemed to know a whole lot about the castle.

"I've…been here once before." She answered somewhat hesitantly, as if she didn't want to say anything which only added to Jaden's already immense confusion. "C'mon, let's just go." not giving him any time to respond Alexis immediately dropped her stature down, taking a deep breath she did her best to squeeze between the bars, her slender form only needing a few seconds to worm its way through the iron obstacle. Swiftly reaching the other side of the wall she quickly glanced around the gardens around her. Seeing that the coast was clear she motioned for Jaden to come through as well.

" _I wonder if she's even noticed.."_ Jaden thought as he lowered himself down to his knees, not too worried about getting his clothes wet from having to get into the stream to pass through the bars. Getting slightly wet was the least of their problems right now anyway. " _I mean there should be Tantalus agents literally everywhere, right? But we've hardly seen a single one. That's like, super weird."_

"Hurry up!" Alexis commanded, her voice as sharp and harsh as it could possibly be with it lowered to a whisper. "We have to get moving!"

"I'm trying!" Jaden protested, only having succeeded in getting about a third of his body through the bars by that point. "I am broader than you, you know. This really isn't as easy for me!"

Rolling her eyes at the boy Alexis stood, taking a few steps over to him she bent down and grabbed his arm, not giving him a moment of warning she began yanking on his body, doing her best to just pull him through because clearly the idiot couldn't do it himself in a timely and efficient manner.

"Hey!" Jaden objected, careful not to shout too loud in case anyone was in ear shot, though based on how everything was unfolding so far he sincerely doubted that. He tried prying her off of him with his free hand, but it was more than clear she was way stronger than he was somehow. Having her yank him out from between the bars was a little humiliating, but considering no one was around to see it, he didn't feel quite as bad about it. But still, considering there was no one around, he had to know.

"Hasn't this been just a _little_ too easy?" Jaden questioned, brushing himself off quickly before rising to his feet. "I mean, where are all the Tantalus agents at? The guards? Literally anyone?"

"I know. I've noticed that too." Alexis observed, turning her back to him, motioning for the brunette to follow as she began to walk through the flower gardens. "It has to mean they're making another move."

"They're moving pretty fast then, aren't they?" Jaden observed as well, trying to think it over despite his gross lack of knowledge. "Doesn't that seem a bit reckless?"

"They're trying to kill the prince." Alexis replied coldly, clearly not wanting to talk about it any more than she had to. Every time the situation came up she became more than a little agitated and unhappy. "Everything they do is going to be reckless. Especially since no one's tried to stop them."

"But why? If you ask me that doesn't make a lick of sense." Jaden deduced, lowering his voice steadily the closer they got to the castle doors. The gardens themselves didn't appear to be too large, but from what he could see they spanned the entire western edge of the grounds. The small stream ran along the outer edge beside the wall, keeping at least some of the flowers and occasional trees watered without effort. Fountains decorated the flower garden just as they had nearly every other place Jaden had ever been, but these were much smaller in size, mostly serving as mere atmospheric decoration. Walking under another of the many rose covered archways along the stone walkways he kept thinking about how any of this situation could make sense. "I mean…aren't there like…a million guards here? Why hasn't anyone done anything? Not even the citizens were ever talking about it. I just don't understand.."

"Unfortunately, it seems like most people think they'd be better off without a depressed prince."

Looking back up at her, Jaden could almost feel the sadness in her voice permeate his own aura. She hadn't looked him in the eye in a while, but if she had been then, he honestly worried about what he would find hiding in her eyes. Sighing she clenched her fist one more time, stopping in her tracks once she made it to the very slight amount of steps leading to the castle door. She hesitated, almost as if despite all she had done to get there, part of her didn't want to go in at all.

"They just don't understand. Anyone could see that he's in pain. It's not like he doesn't care about the well-being of the kingdom anymore…but no one cares about that. No one sees that. All they see is a prince who's been ignoring his people and letting his kingdom slowly fall while he suffers alone. No one wants to protect someone who they feel has abandoned them.."

"But-"

"-But that's why we're here." She interrupted, letting him know that she really didn't care what he had to say just then. Besides, they didn't have the time to keep standing around talking about it. "To save him. Because no one else will." Resuming her pace she opened the doors. At that point even if there was someone standing guard behind the door she wouldn't have cared in the slightest. By then she had made her decision. If anyone stood in their way now, she would cut them down with no mercy to her name. She knew that wasn't the right thing to do, but her honor be damned so long as she was able to save him. "Got that?"

"Right." Nodding along with her statement Jaden could tell more than ever how serious she was about this. She was certainly loyal like she told him before, that much he couldn't deny.

"Just follow me and keep quiet for now, got it?" Alexis ordered, turning her eyes back to him she frowned, more serious now than she ever was before. "We have to find him and fast. Tantalus has been holding the prince captive for a few days already, so I doubt they'll be so inclined to keep him alive too much longer. And if they catch us, they'll probably just kill him outright. Especially with me here."

"You've fought them before, haven't you?"

"A while back, yeah." She nodded "And those guys never let go of their grudges it seems. Besides, they know I'm loyal to the throne which is bad enough in their eyes anyway."

"Makes sense." Jaden observed, listening intently to what she had to say.

"Good. Now let's go, I doubt we have much time."

Before he could even answer her Alexis took off down the hall, more jogging than sprinting, keeping her pace swift but still slow enough that she could easily maneuver in case she needed to make a fast move.

"H-Hey wait!" Jaden called after her, trying to keep his voice low he took off after her as well, the two teenagers now briskly jogging through the palace halls, the deep red carpet down the center helping to muffle their sound, and considering Alexis didn't appear to be making much of an effort to keep quiet any more, that was a good thing. In fact it seemed the closer they got to the situation the more reckless she became, which made Jaden seriously start to worry about how she would handle it when they finally found the prince.

 _"Okay, she's obviously got more of a stake in this mission than she lets on."_ Jaden thought to himself, following her through the seemingly never ending corridors, looking for even the smallest sign of life. _"Clearly she's got some kind of connection to the prince she's not telling me about, that much is obvious at this point. She's probably a friend of his or something. Well whatever, I just hope she can pull herself together soon. She's worried about_ me _blowing it but right now I'm more concerned about_ her. _"_

"Quiet!"

Stopping abruptly in her tracks Jaden hardly had any time to slow himself down at all, bumping into Alexis Jaden stumbled, losing his balance and falling promptly onto the floor.

"W-What is it?"

"I hear voices." Alexis informed, pulling him up off of the ground she shoved Jaden into an offshoot hallway adjacent the main corridor. Keeping the two pressed against the wall she poked her head out just enough that she could see but also still hidden behind the corner of the wall. "Tantalus, no doubt."

"I know it's weird to say this, but it's about damn time." Jaden confessed, keeping his voice down and his body still so he wouldn't give them away. She didn't have to tell him to stay quiet and still this time, he knew better by now. "It's been way too quiet since our last encounter."

"If we weren't on the same side, I'd've punched you for that." Alexis muttered. The last thing she wanted to hear was anything at all about Tantalus, though of course she knew being in the castle with probably the entire faction lurking around somewhere it was inevitable they be brought up. She wasn't ignorant to that fact. Pushing her arm against his chest she kept Jaden pressed against the wall, not about to take even the slightest chance now that they were so close. The prince was trapped somewhere inside these lonely halls. Keeping their presence hidden as best they could, the Tantalus agents approached, talking quietly amongst themselves as they went. Much to the advantage of the two young intruders.

"Y'think the boss is really gonna do it? I mean, actually _kill_ the guy?"

Alexis's entire body froze when she heard the words. She knew that was their plan, but she had hoped they would have been able to rescue him before it became an actual problem they would have to work around. Jaden's own expression became very concerned while he turned his gaze to her. Feeling his eyes on her she shook her head, warning him to stay quiet as they continued to listen, hoping they would spill the beans on the prince's location. That fact would be literally the most helpful information they could receive at this point since Jaden knew full well at this point he would get a hundred percent no info on who the hell he was actually supposed to be while he was in this dimension. Or at least it was looking extremely unlikely, but at the moment he was too stressed and nervous to mind.

"Oh definitely. Honestly I'm surprised he didn't just kill him outright."

"Well you know him. He's gotta make a big show out of it. He won't be satisfied if he can't make him suffer first."

 _"Bastards"_ Alexis thought, clenching her fist so hard her knuckles had begun to turn white. The hand she had pressed against Jaden's chest to keep him hidden and still clenched as well, causing Jaden to flinch slightly as her nails dug into the flesh of his chest through his shirt. The quiet yet sharp inhale from his otherwise still form snapping her out of her anger when it reached her ears, immediately releasing the brunette she wanted to offer him an apology, but with the current situation she couldn't risk even a whisper lest she blow their cover. Feeling both anger and slight guilt she kept listening. As much as she hated it, that was all she could do for now.

"True. But turning the throne room into a prison? Seems a bit excessive to me."

"Well that's the boss for ya."

 _"The throne room?"_ Jaden thought, keeping as still as possible as the Tantalus agents approached, prompted by Alexis they inched a few steps further into the shadows of the darkened hallway, further out of their potential line of sight. Holding their breath the teens waited with a sense of urgency, doing their best to blend in with the surroundings the two breathed a silent sigh of relief as the agents rounded the corner on the opposite side of the main corridor, seemingly not noticing the two intruders within such a close proximity.

"Oh thank the gods, that was seriously close…" Jaden sighed, waiting for the agents to disappear from sight before speaking, lowering himself down to the floor so he could actually enjoy a brief moment's rest.

"Those bastards." Alexis growled, hardly even paying attention to Jaden's presence anymore. In that particular moment she could hardly care even the slightest bit that he was there. All she cared about was taking those assholes down and getting revenge for the pain they had no doubt caused the prince. She would kill them all if she had to, she just wanted to see them defeated. "Where do they get off …!"

"Uh…Alexis..?"

"I'm fine!" She hissed, taking a moment to collect herself she shook her head. Taking a deep breath she turned and grabbed Jaden's arm, hoisting him back up onto his feet before taking long, purposeful strides back into the main corridor. "Let's go."

"Right." Jaden nodded, quickly following her down the corridor, he wanted to ask more questions but at the same time if he did she would probably only get angrier than she already was. He still didn't know her too terribly well but what he could tell was there was a lot more to her than she was letting on. She knew so much about so many things he assumed normal citizens probably didn't know. She had told him her family was loyal to the throne, so he assumed that was why, but still something just seemed off. She was a good person, that much he could tell was a hundred percent true, but still he couldn't help but feel that she was lying to him at least in part about who she really was. But of course, he still trusted her. And if she ever trusted him enough to tell him the whole truth, then he decided he could wait until she did. Following her through the corridors Jaden kept his eyes on their surroundings, making sure that there was no one following them or within range to spot them and ruin the entire operation. As the two teens shortened the distance between themselves and the throne room they could hear the voices of Tantalus get louder in the distance.

"I knew it." Alexis said narrowing her eyes as she beheld the open doors to the grand hall, the various chattering and shouting voices of the delinquents coming from the hallowed sanctuary. "We've gotta get in there!"

"Well yeah, but what if they see us?" Jaden questioned, sincerely worried she was about to lead him into serious danger without even a semblance of a plan. "There's probably like a million of them in there!"

"I doubt that very highly." Alexis scoffed, shaking her head at the idiot in her company. "Tantalus is serious, but they're not too terribly widespread outside of the city. I'd say there's probably dozens. A hundred or so at most."

"Seriously?" Jaden questioned, only becoming even more confused about the situation. "How could a group that small take over a whole damn castle!?"

"They're small, but they've become highly trained over the years." She explained, trying at the same time to come up with an idea for how to go about the next part of the plan. "Besides like I told you, no one cares enough to protect the prince anymore…if I had authority around here I'd put all of those traitors in prison for letting this happen!"

"Uh…Alexis…are you sure you're okay..?" Taking a step back Jaden almost started to regret helping her now that she was honestly starting to scare him a little bit with her slowly growing anger. He knew he could never understand what she must be going through to make her feel that way, but he did understand that whatever her connection to the problem was, she was more than serious about it. And if helping her could lead him to an opportunity to learn something that could help him discover his true identity then he was still willing to go along.

"I'm fine. Now listen." She commanded, taking a deep breath, trying to control her anger. "When we get in there, we _will_ have to fight. Leave as much of that to me as you can. I've been training for years, and from what you told me you can't remember anything from before the last few days so your odds aren't too good."

"Hey!"

"You know I'm right." She sighed, shaking her head at the brunette. "Anyway, do you have a deck? It might end up being useful in a pinch." Patting the deck box secured to his natural waistline, Jaden nodded back to her eager to maybe finally get to see just how a person's deck could help them in a fight. Though as well he kept a hand on the hilt of his small blade, knowing full well that it would most likely be his best tool, since a person's deck could certainly be a boon, but wasn't too viable as the sole source of combat.

"Right here."

"Good." She nodded back, grabbing his arm before finally moving forward. "Stay close, this could get rough." Swiftly dashing across the corridor to the great hall's doors she pressed her back against the wall, Jaden following her lead as she had instructed countless times before. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she poked her head around the corner, peeking into the throne room, quickly raising her hand to her mouth to stifle the gasp involuntarily shooting out of her mouth. From her quick glance inside, she was surprised yet not relieved that she could see the prince. He was sat upon the throne, tightly bound and from what she could tell from a distance he looked like they had probably beaten him. If she had looked any longer she worried what other details she might have been able to see.

" _No!"_

Keeping his eyes on her Jaden worried when he saw her reaction to what she saw inside. Her eyes narrowing for a moment, Jaden swiftly reached for her hand, grabbing her wrist as she reached for the sword situated on her back, keeping her from making a huge mistake. Shaking his head he quietly warned her not to rush in while her emotions were so unstable. Sighing, she let her body relax, nodding in agreement. She knew Jaden was right. She couldn't just barge in there, it wouldn't help the situation any.

" _Okay Alexis, stay calm."_ She thought, worried about what was about to transpire on the other side of the door, but if she thought about it any more she knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself back again. " _Just stay calm. Just take a second, and try to think up some kind of plan. Even if we do end up rushing in there we have to be able to do something…"_

"Hey, I have an idea."

"What..?"

"You get everyone's attention, and I'll sneak around them and free the prince." Jaden quietly suggested, quickly realizing he had no idea what the actual situation was like in there since only she had looked inside. "I mean, I assume he's in there, right?"

"A simple, stupid plan." Alexis sighed, hating every single second she had to spend in the middle of such a terrible situation. "But it's better than nothing. In fact stealth might be the only way you could survive at all in there, since I doubt you can fight too well and you're carrying a toothpick for a sword."

"You know I'm more capable than you think I am." Jaden disputed, though he knew he didn't have too much evidence to the contrary.

"Yeah, okay, sure." Rolling her eyes Alexis sighed, not willing to waste another second just standing there. "Well whatever, now listen. I'm going to go in there. You just stick close to the shadows and get to the prince. He's tied up in the throne so you'll have to be seriously careful."

"Right." Jaden nodded, honestly worried that everything was going to come crashing down and end horribly, but for her sake he couldn't let her know how truly worried he was. He didn't want to let her go, but he knew that no matter what, plan or no plan she was only moments away from just running in there on her own anyway, so he figured he should at least give her even the most basic idea he could think of to keep her focused on the task at hand. Waiting for a moment after she turned inside before slipping in, concealing himself in a matter of seconds behind the deep purple drapes hanging between the pillars standing by the outer edge of the circular hall. Poking his head out just enough so that he could keep his eyes on Alexis he worried about how she was going to deal with this.

"Stop!" She shouted, the crowd of Tantalus agents quieting their shouts to murmurs and whispers amongst themselves at the sight of the blonde girl entering the hall. Jaden was honestly surprised that their reaction was so subdued considering how they had treated him before, worried that something was wrong already.

" _What are you doing?"_ Jaden thought, worried she was about to do something crazy that could probably get her killed.

"Well well, what do we have here?'

Alexis held her breath as the leader of Tantalus spoke. Looking down on her from the throne's pedestal he laughed, turning his attention away from the prince for a moment Jaden moved forwards along the shadows, trying to make his way up to the royal prisoner as incognito as possible.

"Well boys, it seems we have a guest. Alexis Rhodes. The princess herself."

" _WHAT!?"_ Jaden thought, quickly covering his mouth before he could let an audible reaction escape and give him away. In retrospect he realized he should have put the pieces together sooner in all honesty, but he was too much of a scatterbrained idiot to realize. He knew she wasn't telling him something, and it always seemed weird that she was so close to the situation, and the plethora of knowledge about Tantalus and the castle and all that seemed seriously weird for any normal citizen to possess. But even so like the idiot he was, he didn't realize that the strange quiet girl living all by herself in the middle of the woods miles from civilization was actually the princess he was told disappeared and no one had seen her since, which in actuality was extremely obvious and he was an idiot for not realizing.

"Your scheme stops here!" Alexis shouted, standing her ground though she too worried about the course of action they were taking. True they hadn't really thought of anything better, and with the prince in such immediate danger there really wasn't time to stand around brainstorming. But standing there now, her precious brother in harm's way directly before her, she worried they were making a huge mistake. But she wasn't about to back down now. "I'm going to put an end to you all! I will not allow you to endanger my kingdom or my _brother_ any longer!"

"Oh, now would you look at that?" The leader chuckled, amused by the princess's threat. Turning his eyes back to the bound prince, he took the brunette's face in his hand, squeezing his hand around his chin so he couldn't turn away, forcing the prince's dulled gaze to his sister. "It seems your dear little sister has returned to rescue you from the jaws of death." he chuckled, letting the prince's vacant, tired eyes linger.

"L…Lexi…?"

"What have you done to him, you bastards!?" Alexis fumed, clenching her fists tight enough for her knuckles to turn white. Her brother used to always be so cheerful and lively, nothing could bring his spirit down. But now the man before her was broken, his eyes had lost their sparkle of life, he was quiet, and on top of that his body was damaged. She could see blood dripping down his forehead beneath his bangs, the deep red mixing with his beautiful milk chocolate colored locks.

"Well let me tell you something, sweetheart." The leader chuckled, frowning with complete and utter disdain seeping through every single fiber of his being. "It looks like you've come all this way, just to die with him." Before she could even move he pulled a dagger from his belt, grabbing a fistful of Atticus's beautiful hair, yanking his head back and pressing the blade against the prince's porcelain throat. Moving her own arm back to reach for her blade she narrowed her eyes, the worry in her heart shooting through the roof, though she did her best to keep her feelings in check. Her fingertips grazing the hilt of her blade Alexis let her gaze dart to the outer edges of the hall, waiting until she could see Jaden hopefully close enough to them for her to feel comfortable making a move.

"Go ahead, try and save him." the man laughed, amused by her fruitless attempt to save her precious brother. "There's far over fifty agents in this room, and only one of you. And even if you took us down, he'll be dead before you even make a dent."

Atticus's eyes were dulled, but even without a sparkle they could still see. His head wrenched back as it was, he could still see his sister's face. Her face was stern and angry, as serious as she had always been even when they were young. But it wasn't her face, it was her eyes. Her eyes held fear. In all his life Atticus couldn't recall a time he had ever seen a single drop of fear in his sister's eyes. But it wasn't fear for herself, it was fear for him. She was afraid that after all she had done, she would lose him forever. The one person she cared about more than anyone else in the world. In his heart Atticus hurt too. He was afraid for so long that he had lost _her_ forever, but now he was afraid just like she was. He was afraid she would lose him too. After all this time if he left her now, Atticus would never forgive himself. He could feel it. All the fear, sadness, and anger she held inside herself. Atticus could feel all of the anger around him, swirling inside of his body, making him weaker as it overtook any happiness he may have felt before the sun set on him. But of all the emotions he could feel around him, he could feel hers above all else. His dear sister's emotions were always the ones he could feel the strongest and most clearly. And she was in pain just as much, if not more than he was.

"Well now, you're both going to die. So what's it going to be?" The leader asked, pressing the blade just hard enough against Atticus's skin that a drop of crimson blood oozed from the newly broken skin just above the black collar of his top. Though it was too small for her to see Alexis's body tensed, somehow knowing it was there. "Surrender? Or fight?"

"I would never-"

"-But, just know that if you fight us. He'll only suffer more."

 _"Hurry up, Jaden!"_ She thought, her eyes still narrow, she looked over to the shadows again, finally catching a glimpse of the brunette behind the curtains across from the throne. Tantalus's attention focused on her, he had enough cover to get that far, but it wasn't about to stay that easy.

"Could you live your last moments knowing you caused him to suffer in his?"

Shooting Jaden a glance she doubted he could see, she smirked. Squeezing her hand around the hilt of her blade she drew her sword, more than prepared to fight for her dear brother's life.

"I don't think I'll have to."


	6. Atticus

_**-Chapter 6-** _

Jaden made his way behind the thick purple curtains, doing his best to move forward unseen. It seemed everyone's attention was completely fixed on Alexis, which considering who these people were didn't surprise him one bit. What _did_ surprise him was that she was the princess all this time and he didn't notice. He'd already been over it all in his mind a thousand times since he found out, but still he couldn't wrap his head around it. Of course there were a lot of things he wasn't able to understand and he knew there were so many things he never could. But still it did bother him a bit.

" _Now's not the time to dwell on it."_ He thought, poking his head out from behind the curtain just enough that he was still covered by the shadows the curtains cast, but so he could also try to catch a glimpse of Alexis through the crowd, only managing to catch the twinkle of her silver blade as she drew it from its place situated on her back.

"I don't think I'll have to." She said, responding to the leader's question. It was cruel what they were putting the poor siblings through. But she was determined to put a stop to it and he would be damned if he didn't help her.

 _"Okay, what do I do now..?"_ Jaden thought. Alexis was ready to start an all out brawl in the great hall but with the prince in such immediate danger, he knew she was counting on him to make the first move since he was much closer to him than she was. Thinking as fast as he could to try and come up with a plan that could work, it was then he remembered what Syrus had taught him back in the 9th dimension.

* * *

_"How can I explain…" Syrus wondered aloud, tapping his right pointer finger against his chin for a moment he paced back and forth in front of Jaden, snapping his tiny fingers as the thought finally came to him. "You see, a person's deck is more like a tool than a weapon." Summoning his deck once more from the ether just like he had when they first met, he pulled a card from the top, showing the brunette the anthropomorphic creature pictured on the cardboard paper. "Deck's aren't exactly viable to use as your sole form of combat. But they can be helpful if you're in need of some extra help."_

_"So like…how do they work?" Jaden asked, still not entirely understanding what his princely friend was trying to teach him._

_"Well I suppose I'd better show you then. It might be easier to explain that way." Syrus considered, motioning for the guards to set up a target for him to demonstrate with. "For the sake of argument, say we're in the middle of a battle, and my magic isn't enough to fell a particularly strong foe. Or maybe there are too many for just me to take down." Jaden nodded along, doing his best to try and pay attention to the lesson. "If that happens, I have my deck to help me." Pulling out the card he had drawn before and swinging his arm in front of his small body the card flew from his fingers, glowing a bright blue color before manifesting into the anthropomorphic machine the picture had shown_

_"Whoa!" Jaden exclaimed, not sure what to expect but that wasn't it. Watching with wide and excited eyes the machine creature attacked the target, smashing it to pieces before being enveloped in the blue light again, condensing back down into a card and returning itself back to Syrus's deck. "Where did it go?"_

_"That's just it." Syrus explained, returning his deck to the ether before turning his attention back to Jaden. "That's all the monsters can do. They attack, or defend if that's what you intend, and then they return to the deck. It's all the energy normal creatures can afford to spend."_

_"Really? That's it?"_

_"Well, some creatures are stronger than others and can do more." Syrus thought aloud, trying to explain the best he could since he wasn't exactly used to teaching people anything at all much less something so complicated. "Since mine and my brother's decks are infused with celestial energy like all the inter dimensional royalty, I'd have to assume normally we would be able to do more than regular people could, but to be honest we're only the slightest bit stronger."_

_"Wow that's cool." Jaden said, in awe of what his friend had shown him until a thought came to him. "But, there aren't just monsters in the decks right? There's spells and stuff too?"_

_"Yes, there are." Syrus nodded, happy to explain. "They work about the same way the monsters do, only spells and traps last longer, staying in effect until their purpose is fulfilled."_

_"Awesome.." Jaden said, taking out his own deck, gazing in awe at the small stack of cards in his hands._

* * *

_"Thanks, Sy."_ Jaden smiled, pulling his deck from the box at his side, giving it a squeeze as he thought about his friend. _"Looks like you're gonna help me after all."_ Taking a deep breath Jaden drew the top card from the deck, only needing enough of a distraction for the Tantalus leader to get his blade away from the prince's throat so Alexis could make a move. It didn't matter to him what creature it was, just so long as it could land a strong attack on the group, hopefully whittling down the numbers a bit so they would be easier for Alexis to handle. Taking a quick glance at the creature on the card Jaden prepared himself for what was about to happen.

 _"Sparkman. This guy looks powerful enough, I'm sure he'll do."_ Jaden thought, he took one last moment to brace himself before tossing the card out into the hall, the small form slicing through the air for a moment it took on the same glow as Syrus's cards had, only his shined a vibrant red color as it manifested into the electric monster.

"What the hell is tha-"

Not giving the Tantalus leader the time to finish his exclamation, Sparkman charged his electrical energy, shooting a large sphere of lightning into the crowd. The force of the blow taking out a solid chunk of the riffraff, about twenty men went down before Sparkman returned to Jaden's deck. The Tantalus leader stumbled as well from the force, his blade nicking the prince's skin as his hand fell away from Atticus's porcelain form but otherwise he was unscathed if one chose to ignore the wounds he had previously sustained. Rushing out from behind the curtains Jaden sprinted up to the throne, hardly paying attention to his surroundings as he ran. All he could focus on with the prince, and the danger he was still in. There wasn't a blade against his throat anymore, but the danger was still very real and immediate. He could hold the leader off and keep him away from Atticus for a while at least but he knew he wouldn't be nearly as useful in this fight as Alexis was. Glancing over quickly he could see her sticking more than a few Tantalus goons with her great-sword which was more than disturbing to see but he knew it was what she had to do. Making it up to the throne's little platform he seized the leader's arm, wrenching the dagger from his hand Jaden pulled out his own little sword, holding it only about an inch from the man's chest.

"You!"

His eyes shooting up at the voice, Jaden's heart stopped. He hadn't ever really gotten a good look at the man before, or at least he hadn't paid enough attention to him to notice but it was the same man he had bumped into on the street before.

"You're that rat from town!" The man exclaimed, his eyes narrowed as he looked upon the brunette, ignoring the carnage Alexis was causing. She was tearing through the goons on the main floor, running them through with her blade. That wasn't to say she didn't have any trouble. She had trained herself for years in the woods alone, but she wasn't the only one trained in swordsmanship in that room and even more weapon types beyond that. She was doing the best she could, but she too was even struggling by now, the about twenty goons that remained between Jaden's own attack and Alexis's onslaught were starting to overwhelm her, not giving her enough of a reprieve to summon her own cards to help her.

"Yeah, maybe I am." Jaden responded, inching his blade closer, not really wanting to kill the man though he did want to make the danger go away, and Alexis had already killed so many of them herself. "And you won't hurt him anymore!"

"Oh is that so?" The man glared, unhappy with Jaden's assertion. "Because from the look of you, you've never killed anyone before. Which means you won't kill me."

"I-I…" Jaden hesitated, he knew the man was right, he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill him, but still he had to do _something._

"Lexi…"

Jaden's eyes widened again when Atticus's voice reached his ears. His tone was stronger than it was before, the life slowly returning to him knowing that his sister was there, but he was still in pain. Not so much physical pain anymore, though of course some lingered, as well Jaden could see a few wounds and cuts obscuring his otherwise flawless skin. But it was a great emotional pain. She was right there. After all these years, she was so close but still he couldn't reach her, like she was just a dream and had never returned at all. When Jaden heard the desperation and anguish in his voice something clicked inside of him, finally realizing what he could do. He couldn't bring himself to kill him, but he could still immobilize him, then after that Alexis could do whatever she wanted with him and he wouldn't care less. Returning his blade to its sheath he tried to remember the self defense tactics the palace guards had taught him before he was sent away, remembering how helpful that line of thinking was when he encountered the man before. Swiftly grabbing the man's shirt in his fist Jaden used his free hand to take a hard upward jab at the man's nose. A pained shout escaping the man's lips, Jaden tensed as he saw the vibrant red blood oozing from his nose.

 _"No time to freeze up now, Jay!"_ He thought, scolding himself for even thinking about it. Not about to give the man a chance to make a move of his own Jaden released his hold on his shirt, thrusting his arm into the man's throat, knocking the wind clear out of him before raising his leg and kicking him in the chest like he had done before, sending him flying from the slightly raised platform. Satisfied for now Jaden turned his eyes to Alexis, who was still fighting off a few goons of her own.

"Who would be next!?" She shouted angrily as she pulled her blade from the chest of yet another agent, not about to let the rest get off easy. But she was tired, Jaden could tell that much. There were still about six or seven left standing, all the rest were either dead or immobilized, but if Jaden didn't help her he knew soon one of them would find an opening to take her down. Not about to let that happen he pulled out his deck one more time, drawing the next card he threw it out into the hall, hoping to give her the assistance she needed.

"Bubbleman!" Jaden cried as the creature manifested from the card, the same red glow accompanying the summon. "Give her a hand!" Trusting the monster would get the job done Jaden rushed back to Atticus, hastily unsheathing his blade he began cutting the tight bonds restraining him. "Don't worry, your highness. I'm gonna get you out of this."

"Who…who are you…?" Atticus questioned, the sparkles of life slowly returning to his eyes he finally turned his gaze away from his sister to look at the brunette, his expression one of complete bewilderment knowing he was being rescued by a stranger.

"A friend of your sister, I guess." Jaden explained, a slight chuckle coming off the end of his sentence. He knew she would most likely deny the idea that they could be friends if she had anything to say about it, but still he liked to think it wouldn't necessarily be entirely false to say so either. Focusing on cutting Atticus's binds without accidentally slicing the prince, Jaden only partially noticed the red glow return as Bubbleman was summoned back to the deck, his task complete. Alexis stood there for a moment among the carnage she had caused, catching her breath before mounting her now bloodstained sword again on her back. Laying her eyes on her dear brother again she finally let herself give in to her emotions. Her heart broke when she saw him there. It was like everything in the universe just disappeared around her, so that only she and Atticus remained. Tears falling from her eyes she couldn't tell if she was happy or sad anymore. She didn't know what to feel at all.

"Atticus!" She cried, running as fast as she could to reach her brother's side. Taking her brother's face in her hands she could see the life slowly return to his eyes. Relief overtaking her heart she could hardly wait for Jaden to finish removing the remainder of the bonds restricting her brother's body. As soon as Atticus's hands were no longer bound she threw her arms around him, holding her brother in a tight but gentle embrace for the first time in the three years since she had taken her own leave, doing her best to be mindful of her brother's hidden wounds.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried, feeling a deep seated regret for ever having left him alone. But she knew she couldn't stay, the royal life wasn't meant for her despite her birth, this she knew all too well. But what she had failed to realize in those days was what pain and strife her departure would cause. All she could do was blame herself for what had happened here, but still she knew it was foolish to think so as well. Even so she cried.

"Sis…" Atticus said, tears of his own beginning to form, he slowly raised his hands, wrapping his arms around her they held each other. Wanting to give the siblings a moment, Jaden took some of the cut strands of rope, hurrying to the unconscious leader of Tantalus Jaden tied his hands, just in case he reawakened soon. Making sure the man was secured Jaden looked back to Alexis and her brother, happy for them now that they were back together after what he assumed was a long time. Alexis held him like she would never let go again, Atticus only having the strength to manage a slight squeeze in comparison to her secure embrace.

"Oh Atticus…" Alexis cried, taking a deep breath she did her best to stop her tears. If she wept, so too would he, and that was not a state she had ever wanted to see him in. All she ever wanted was to keep his smile alive and protected, so the kingdom might never see it fade. But with her departure she had only caused such a fate to come to pass. "This was all my fault…I never should have left you alone…"

"Hey, sis…" Atticus soothed, smoothing back his sister's long golden locks he pushed her back to arms length before slowly rising to his feet, stumbling slightly from the pain his weakened form still held, he leaned into Alexis for support, she in turn strengthened the hold she had kept, doing her best to support her dear brother. Reassuring her he was alright Atticus raised his hand to her face, gently wiping the tears from her silky cheek. The softest smile graced his ethereal features for the first time in many a long year. "No more tears, okay?"

Jaden could hardly imagine such a beautiful person could exist. The prince was most wondrous fair, his long milk chocolate hair glistened in the sunlight streaming in from the large windows serving as the back wall of the hall. Alexis looked into her brother's deep brown eyes, more than relieved that his sparkle had more or less returned. And despite the light bruises and specks of dried blood his face was as flawless and beautiful as it had always been. His long, white coat flowing behind him as well he was a true vision to behold. Like the most beautiful of fairy tale prince's. Jaden hadn't taken the time to notice before amongst the chaos, but Atticus almost seemed to glow in the light. As if he had been blessed by the Celestials themselves.

"I don't blame you for what's happened here." Atticus consoled, not wanting his beloved sister to feel the blame she placed upon herself any longer. "The fault is mine. For allowing myself to sink so low into despair. Our people suffered because of me, and my own weakness." He sighed, looking at the carnage and death surrounding him, a deep guilt weighing down his own heart. " _That_ is what allowed them to come this far."

"I'm sorry, Atticus…" Alexis sighed, unwilling to completely dispel herself of guilt just yet.

"Don't be." Smiling at his sister, he had never felt such overwhelming pride knowing the strong woman she had become. "You saved me. In more ways than one."

"I didn't do that alone." Alexis admitted, turning to Jaden, Atticus following suit. "I had more than a little help."

"So you did." He nodded, recalling the brunette who had freed him, his memory of the incident clouded as it was from his previously beaten, catatonic state. "Allow me to offer you my thanks, young man."

"I did what I could, your highness." Jaden bowed, showing them both their due respect.

"Although, If you don't mind me asking…who are you…?"

"O-Oh! Sorry! I'm Jaden Yuki," he explained "I met your sister in the woods outside of town. She pointed me in the right direction, then later she saved me from a couple of these guys chasing me around. When she told me what was going on, I offered to help her, since she had done so much for me already."

"Well I am glad you were here to help her." Atticus responded, proud of the two teenagers for what they had accomplished, but still some questions lingered. "You say you met my sister in the woods. Tell me, what were you doing there? Where are you from?"

"Not even I understand the answer to that one, Atticus." Alexis chimed in, scoffing as she recalled the answer he had given her when she herself had asked him that.

"Pardon…?" Atticus questioned, raising a confused eyebrow at his sister, not entirely understanding what she was getting at.

"Well you see…there really isn't an easy answer to that…" Jaden explained, doing his best to think of a way to explain further in a way that would make sense. Recounting his tale in as much detail and clarity as he could Jaden told Atticus all he could. About how he had fallen from the sky with no memory, about how helpful Syrus had been in preparing him for his journey. And of course the reason Zane had sent him away in the first place. Listening intently, Atticus chuckled at Jaden's recount of how Aster and Zane had coldly treated him. In all the years he had known them, he was amused to see that the two had never changed a bit it seemed.

"Well, that's quite a story, Jaden." Atticus observed, still slightly chuckling over the behavior of his friends. "I can't say I've ever heard of a human being connected to the celestials before."

"Well to be fair, highness, I haven't really heard of anything before." Jaden shrugged a bit sheepishly, attempting to make light of the situation.

"Idiot." Alexis scoffed, shaking her head at the indeed slightly idiotically strange brunette as she turned a worried eye back to Atticus, feeling his body begin to tremble on top of already needing her help just to stand.

"Well, I wish I could help you." Atticus sighed, more than guilty that he couldn't offer the young brunette any direct aid in his quest "you've come all this way, saved my life when you hadn't needed to. And yet, I have no information to give you in return." Doing his best to stay standing, he tightened his hold on Alexis, taking a deep breath as he felt the pain from his wounds flare up just a little.

"I'm not surprised, Atticus. Our dimension hasn't had much to do with the celestials in some time." Alexis admitted, feeling bad for not having mentioned it earlier. "I would have told you before, but I was…preoccupied…"

"Nah, it's alright." Jaden dismissed, not too worried about it to be honest. There were plenty of places he could go to find an answer. He wasn't about to get upset about failing the first time. Although he was still very much bewildered about something rather important she had neglected to mention. "But why didn't you tell me you were the princess?"

"Because I had gone into hiding." She explained simply. "I didn't want to live a royal life. Why would I tell you?"

"Good point…"

"Are you alright, Atticus?" Alexis asked, starting to worry about how difficult it seemed to be getting for him to stay on his feet. Shooting him a concerned glance, Alexis thought he could collapse at any moment with how weak he was starting to look. "Go on and sit down," sitting him back down on his throne before he could even object, Alexis couldn't help but worry about him "you're too weak…"

"Thank you, Alexis…" Atticus sighed, relieved to be off his feet again. Though he hated to admit it, she was completely right. His heart may have been fixed, but his body was still significantly weakened from the days he had spent as Tantalus's prisoner, being beaten and abused, not to mention hardly fed, had certainly taken its toll. "I'm sorry, I'm fine. I suppose I'm just a little weaker than I thought."

"Are you sure you're okay, your highness?" Jaden questioned, his own concern beginning to show.

"Yes, I'm sure. And actually, now that I think about it…I believe I know someone who may be able to help you, Jaden." Atticus realized, a gentle smile coming across his face as he recalled a dear friend, though also appreciative of Jaden's concern. "Chancellor Crowler of the seventh dimension." He recounted "he's studied the celestials nearly his entire life. As well he's the guardian of an ancient collection of cards, said to be gifted to the seventh dimension by the celestials themselves."

"Really?" Jaden asked, hardly able to believe the sheer awesomeness of what Atticus was telling him, though his concern was still very real. "That's amazing!"

"Yes. And there's also Grand Maester Sheppard of dimension four. He too, should be able to offer you aid when the time comes. Though, the extent of his knowledge is limited mainly to the celestial Rainbow Dragon. I doubt he'll be too much help with the Neo Spacians." Atticus explained, trying to offer him as much information as he could. Zane should've known this as well. Atticus only wondered for a moment why his friend had sent the young man here rather than to one of them first, but that moment hardly lasted a second. Smiling, Atticus knew the reason why. Zane had sent Jaden to him, knowing somehow he would be able to help Atticus and Alexis find each other again, and save them both. At least Atticus liked to think that was the reason anyway, after all he would've done the same if the roles were reversed.

_"I'll be sure to thank you later, my friend."_

"Thank you so much, your highness." Jaden bowed again, more than happy to show the prince the respect he deserved and had long been denied. "But if you don't mind me asking, Syrus opened the portal for me last time. How will I get there…?"

"Oh yes, of course! I almost forgot about that little detail." Atticus chuckled, remembering that even though Syrus could open dimensional portals wherever he pleased, among other small magical abilities the young prince possessed, no one else could do the same. "Just outside the city, on the hill to the north there's a place where the dimensional veil is weak enough to pass through. I'm sure you can get to the seventh dimension from there."

"Thank you for your help, your highness." Jaden bowed again, glad to receive even just a push in the potentially right direction. "I hope you can get better soon."

"Thank you, Jaden. I appreciate your concern." He answered, slowly rising back to his feet, holding onto the armrest of the throne for support. "Please, consider this information my first step in repaying my debt to you." Atticus smiled softly, offering his own bow of respect to Jaden as best he could with his lingering pain, still beyond grateful for what the young brunette had done for him.

"Atticus." Alexis began, giving her brother's hand a squeeze before turning her eyes to Jaden. "I think I should go with him."

"What?" Atticus asked, turning his gaze to his sister, not at all expecting her to say such a thing.

"Seriously!?" Jaden questioned as well, about as surprised if not more than Atticus was.

"Yes." She nodded, taking a deep breath she knew it was something she just had to do for now. "I owe him a debt as well. Besides, he's gonna need someone to get him in the door to even _see_ Crowler. And on top of that, he's an idiot. Someone has to be there to babysit him."

"Hey!" Jaden argued, appreciating her offer to help but not the insult she had tacked right on the end. "I resent that!"

"Oh whatever." She chuckled, turning back to her brother. "But this time, I promise I'll come back." Holding her brother's hand tightly she worried about how he would fare in her absence. The last time she left he hadn't exactly taken it very well, and seeing him still clearly injured she really would rather stay, but with at least the majority if not all of Tantalus taken care of, she felt like she could take a little risk in assuming her brother would be safe until she returned. "You'll be okay while I'm gone, won't you…?"

"Lexi…" pulling his sister into a tender embrace, Atticus felt a warmth in his chest he hadn't been able to feel in many a long year. "Knowing that you're alright…that's enough for me." he smiled "There's so much work to do to restore the people's faith in me. But, you know, not everyone has abandoned me. I'll be just fine. Just promise me you'll be careful, alright?"

Chuckling at her brother's ever optimistic personality she nodded, letting him hold her a moment longer.

"I promise."

Jaden smiled at the two siblings, glad that they had found their way back to each other after so long. But remembering the mess of blood and bodies around them Jaden couldn't help but ask.

"I don't mean to bring these guys up again, highness. But…what are you going to do about Tantalus?"

"Right." Atticus sighed, much more inclined to not think about them ever again, though he knew that wasn't exactly possible while their bodies were strewn about his throne room and their leader still lived. "First I'll have to reform the royal guard, most of them either left, or were picked off by Tantalus. But then I can assure you each and every Tantalus survivor will be spending the remainder of their sorry lives in the dungeon for what they've caused."

"Are you sure you won't need my help with that…?" Alexis inquired, worried that since the guard had abandoned him before, they wouldn't be so eager to return to their posts so quickly. "A-And you're still hurt…" Acknowledging his sister's worries, Atticus shook his head.

"No, no. I can take care of it. And there are plenty of healers left. Those few who stayed with me here were all locked up when Tantalus took over. Once they're set free, I promise I'll be alright." He said, assuring her that all would be well in her absence this time. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"Well, okay. I promise." She nodded, offering her brother one more smile. If she thought Jaden would be okay on his own she wouldn't have offered to go along. She would stay with Atticus and see to it personally he was safe and taken care of until he was well again, but she knew better than that. If she didn't go with him Jaden would only have more problems going forward than he would be able to handle, considering he was an idiot and seeing as he needed to see the chancellor, he would need someone there to get him in. Someone Chancellor Crowler would be willing to speak to. The chancellor was a very busy and serious man, and without help it would be next to impossible for Jaden to get in to see him. So despite how much she wanted to stay with Atticus, this was something she had to do. Besides, she owed him a debt, and she was determined to see that it was repaid. "But I want you to check in with me every once in a while." She instructed, sitting him back down again. "If you need anything, I want to be able to be there for you. After all of this… I just need to know you're okay."

"How's he gonna do that if we're in a different dimension…?" Jaden interrupted, raising an eyebrow at the blonde he was starting to get confused all over again.

Pulling out a small, circular device from an almost undetectable pocket on her skirt, Alexis explained.

"With this. Just about everyone has one, honestly. We can use them to communicate with people no matter what dimension we happen to be in."

"Seriously!?" Jaden exclaimed, completely unaware that a device like that even existed. Yet another bit of information Zane and Aster had neglected to divulge no doubt.

"Considering what you said about Zane and Aster's temperament towards you, I'm not exactly surprised you didn't know." Atticus chuckled, not surprised the two would keep such a thing from him. If they didn't want him and Syrus to keep in contact, not telling him there was a way to do so even outside of the ninth dimension would certainly be a good way to ensure that. "But either way, I promise, Alexis."

"Good." She nodded "I don't want you to get yourself in trouble again."

"I promise, Alexis." Atticus smiled, giving her hand a slight reassuring squeeze, he sighed when he saw the carnage around him, noting that some of the members of Tantalus appeared to have survived Alexis's onslaught. "Although, I'll need to take care of this mess immediately."

"We'll help you, your highness." Jaden offered, feeling bad about making such a mess of the place despite how necessary the battle had been, besides, Atticus was still too weak to handle this kind of thing by himself. Atticus smiled, nodding at the brunette he appreciated the offer. Sitting there with his sister beside him, Atticus felt whole again. For the first time since she left three years ago, he could feel the hole in his heart start to fill again, and the happiness he felt from her seemed to lift the veil of sorrow that had been covering him for so long. Letting himself ignore the soreness in his body from being beaten, he held his sister's hand for just one more moment, preparing himself to let her go. It hurt his heart to think about her leaving again, but knowing she was alive was enough to get him through until she returned. But until then, he would insist they at least stay the night.


	7. The Exalted Chancellor

_**-Chapter 7-** _

"Are you…sure you're ready to go? I mean…are you sure you really want to go at all?" Jaden questioned, turning to Alexis as they stood there on the hill, the afternoon sun overhead. Like Atticus had requested after they helped clear the carnage from the battle and secured the surviving members of Tantalus in the dungeons, Alexis and Jaden had agreed to stay the night, not about to just up and leave him immediately after such an experience. Especially with him still having been wounded.

"Of course not. But putting it off wouldn't do any good." Alexis admitted, indeed still concerned for her brother but convincing him to check in with her at least once a day while she was gone was enough to assuage her concerns enough to allow her to get herself to leave. Besides there were healers left in the palace to take care of him, and as soon as she found someone else to babysit Jaden for her, Alexis fully intended on coming back home anyway. As far as she was concerned once she got Jaden in to see Chancellor Crowler they would be even and she could leave him on his own. But for now he was still her responsibility. "Come on, let's get going. The sooner we go, the sooner I can get back here. Atticus is going to need me here, I'd rather not be gone for too long. Which means once we finish our business with Chancellor Crowler, you're on your own. I won't be babysitting you anymore, got that?"

"Uh, sure." Jaden nodded, fully sensing her intentions to leave him behind as soon as she could before she even told him, though he completely understood why she wouldn't want to be away from her brother too long after what he had been put through. Waiting there on the hillside Alexis took a step forward, placing her hands in the air, she took a deep breath and moved her hands in a circular motion before moving the veil aside. A swirling blue portal opening before them.

"Whoa!" Jaden gasped, although it wasn't the first time he saw a portal open it was still a mind blowing thing to see. Besides the last time Syrus had done it and on the palace grounds where the veil wasn't nearly thin enough for any regular person to pull aside. Seeing it done the way it was meant to be done was interesting to say the least. "How does that even work?"

"It's easy, actually. Anyone can open a portal here since the dimensional veil is thin enough." Alexis explained, not too terribly jazzed about having to keep hand holding him through things like this for now but she knew this was something he would need to know anyway. "Although it only works if the person opening the portal _intends_ to do so. Otherwise you'd have people opening them accidentally when they happened upon a travel point. Didn't anyone tell you about this before?"

"Well yeah, but I've never seen it done the normal way before. It's awesome." Jaden marveled, totally transfixed by the coolness of the world around him and that he had been dropped by the universe into.

"Yeah, I guess. Whatever." She sighed, grabbing his arm to get him to move his ass. "Let's just get going. Atticus told me he contacted Chancellor Crowler this morning, so he should be expecting us. Although, he's a very busy man so it might be a short visit."

"Okay." Jaden nodded, taking a second to prepare himself for the sensation of traveling through a portal one more time. When he was sent through Syrus's portal it felt like he was being pulled by some invisible force, thrust from one dimension to another with no control. Although the feeling had only lasted a few seconds it was still an extremely uncomfortable feeling, and he sincerely wondered if it would be any worse with two people going through at once. Keeping her firm grip on his wrist, Alexis pulled him forward into the portal with her, not even giving him a moment to prepare before the almost fluorescent blue light enveloped him and thrust the two teenagers into the next dimension. The sensation was almost no different from the first time he had felt it, the only difference was the feeling of her hand around his wrist. It surprised him just how little her appearance affected the dimensional travel. But of course Jaden realized pretty quickly that he didn't know the first thing about how dimensional travel actually worked anyway, in fact the finer details of just about everything were lost on him for now but he hoped that eventually such things wouldn't be too much of an issue anymore. Screwing his eyes shut Jaden waited for the sensation to end, absolutely hating it but he knew it was necessary. Taking a deep breath he felt his feet touch solid ground again, opening his eyes to see a great city before them unlike any he had seen before. This place hardly looked like a fairy tale like the other dimensions he had seen. This place was filled with tall buildings, fairly cramped together with all kinds of machines everywhere, like some kind of steampunk paradise. Despite what Jaden could tell they seemed to be in some sort of desert kingdom in a way, if not some kind of barren land. Hardly a spot of green other than the occasional decorative roadside plant. Jaden couldn't believe that people could live in such a desolate looking place. Looking around for a moment, Jaden realized there was something decidedly absent from this trip through a dimensional portal. Raising a hand to his chest for a moment Jaden lightly gripped his shirt, raising an eyebrow as he felt a wave of confusion come over him.

"I don't feel anything…?" He wondered aloud, baffled by the lack of the deep sting he had felt arise within him when he first crossed over into the fifth dimension. This time, there was nothing at all.

"What?" Alexis questioned, raising her own eyebrow at the boy, her own confusion rising at the strange remark.

"The pain, in my chest, from the portal. I didn't feel it." He explained, quickly turning his gaze her way, still clutching his shirt in his hand. "Did you?"

"Jaden, I don't know what you're even talking about." She answered, beyond confused now by what he was trying to talk about. "You're not _supposed_ to feel pain."

"Oh…" Jaden realized quietly. In all honestly he did think it was odd that such a thing would happen after no one mentioned anything to him about it before, and also not having been able to find anything about it in the guide to dimensional travel he had skimmed through before running into Alexis again. But having her spell it out like that certainly made it more than a little obvious that it was just a him thing. "S-so, this is it..?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned to Alexis, doing his best to change the subject, although he already had a feeling he knew what she was going to say.

"Yeah, it is." Alexis answered, taking a rain-check on her concern as she finally let go of Jaden's wrist, pointing to the most elegant and prestigious looking building on the horizon of the city, turning to Jaden for just a moment. "That building there is where Chancellor Crowler lives. His office is there too, so he doesn't leave too often. Not unless there's an event that requires his presence like the dimensional council or something. So he should be there when we arrive. Let's get going."

"The dimensional council?" Jaden questioned, already confused enough without her introducing an entirely new concept to him, and from the sound of it it seemed this council was pretty important.

"Yeah, it's a big deal. You can ask him about it yourself later, okay?" She responded, walking down the city street, only catching a few eyes from the people passing around them. Typical citizens in just about every dimension were fairly used to people traveling through the portals so it wasn't too strange of an occurrence, so Jaden felt a lot better knowing he wouldn't get nearly as many stares here than he did after falling into the ninth dimension, though he did concede that traveling via dimensional portal was far more normal than plummeting from the sky, so there was definitely that to consider. Speeding up to a pace between a power walk and a light jog he followed Alexis down the street. It seemed like there were thousands of people roaming the streets of the city, the city guards sticking out like sore thumbs in their full suits of silver armor and spears rising over the people's heads. Keeping close to Alexis, Jaden couldn't help but stare in awe at the buildings towering far higher above them than any he had seen before that wasn't a castle. The urban desert valley paradise was unbelievable, so much so Jaden could hardly believe it was even real.

"So, you said they're expecting us, right?" Jaden questioned as the chancellor's citadel grew closer with each step they took, the grandeur and splendor of the ivory tower amidst the mechanical and industrial surroundings of the city which surrounded it was absolutely astounding. "Because I mean, it would be super awkward if we just kinda showed up out of nowhere."

"Yes, I did say that." Alexis sighed, honestly amazed that he seemed to have forgotten already. "The chancellor and his staff know me, so we shouldn't have any problems getting past the guards to see him. Which reminds me." stopping dead in her tracks for a second she turned to Jaden, her eyes almost as serious as they had been when she still needed to rescue her dear brother. "Don't tell anyone I'm a princess, got it? I left that life behind for a reason. I don't want people making a big deal over it."

"Uh…sure?" Jaden agreed, still not entirely understanding her motivations on the matter, but he also decided he would rather not do anything that could make her angry with him, so he agreed to oblige her request.

"Good." She nodded, satisfied with his answer despite how confused and reluctant he was to oblige. Turning back to the chancellor's tower she continued to lead the way, keeping a close eye on Jaden as best she could in the process. The tower wasn't too terribly hard to find, it was directly in the center of the city, and with the main roads leading directly to it there wasn't much difficulty in finding the blasted place. Bowing in respect for the woman approaching them the guards were prepared to allow her to pass.

"Princess." one of the guards said, stepping aside so the girl could proceed. "Chancellor Crowler is expecting you."

"Yes, thank you." Alexis nodded, politely smiling for the guards as any decent human being would. "This boy is with me. Please allow him to pass as well."

"Yes of course, your highness." the other agreed, eyeing Jaden for a second before determining that he seemed harmless enough to not be suspicious. Besides, if he was traveling with the princess he had to be trustworthy enough. "Go right ahead. His eminence will see you any time."

"Very well." Alexis responded, motioning for Jaden to follow she walked through the gate, taking Jaden up the short walkway to the tower doors. The inside of the tower was just as beautiful as the outside, the ivory walls accented by deep blue drapes and gold trimmings along the floor-line. But despite the pristine aesthetic the citadel still held a more mechanical atmosphere. There were periodic openings in the wall where they could see gears spinning, powering the various devices inside the tower. It was a happy marriage between technology and fairy tale aesthetics. Unlike anything Jaden had ever seen before.

"This place is amazing!" Jaden marveled, keeping close to Alexis, he was definitely getting a few strange looks from the guards around the tower with his childish awe. Alexis sighed, glad she was going to be able to ditch him once they finished up here and she could go back home to take care of her brother. But for now she still had to keep Jaden on the right path and in check.

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged, not nearly as enthusiastic as he was having been there before, and just generally having a more subdued personality than he did in all honesty. "The chancellor's office is just down the hall, when we go in please try to be on your best behavior." Sighing, she remembered the amount of stupid things she was aware he had done up to that point. "And please, don't do anything stupid."

"Whatever you say." Jaden nodded back to her, still just in complete awe of his surroundings, though he understood her trepidation and lack of faith in his ability to do or say anything smart. Following her down to the ornate double doors at the end of the hallway Alexis raised her hand to the deep blue wood, delicately knocking against it three times they stood for a moment in silence before a voice cut through the air.

"Enter."

Nodding though she knew the chancellor couldn't see it, she pushed the door open, taking a step inside so Jaden could follow. Closing the door behind himself Jaden looked up to see the chancellor at his desk, the older man rested his elbow on the desk, his middle and pointer fingers massaging his right temple, he looked to be fretting over what looked to be an important document resting on the desk in front of him. Sighing quietly to himself Crowler looked up at the two teens before him, his dangly crescent moon earrings fluttering about from the movement of his body.

"Ah, princess. A pleasure to see you again after all this time." he said, offering a smile to the blonde girl, though they could both tell it was a reluctant one. "I'm terribly sorry for what your brother was forced to endure. Had I been able, I would have done anything I could to help."

"It's alright, chancellor. We know you have your own problems to take care of." Alexis dismissed, not wanting the one adult left in her life to feel guilt over an internal dimensional matter.

"Indeed I do, my dear." Crowler sighed, shaking his head for a moment, Jaden took notice of his long ponytail fluttering behind him. The man was truly an elegant sight in his own way. Somehow Jaden felt almost under dressed being in his presence. Taking a second to collect himself, Crowler clapped his hands together, getting up from his desk chair. His long blue coat cascaded down behind him, the coat's pink frills bouncing around from his every movement, he looked the two teens in the eye. "Now, what can I do for you? Young Atticus told me you were coming with business."

"Well, _his_ business, actually." Alexis explained, gesturing to Jaden staring at various objects in the office behind her rather than paying attention to the polite conversation unfolding around him. "And believe me, it's a weird story."

"Oh?" Raising an eyebrow in intrigue, Crowler turned his gaze to the brunette in question. "Just what do you mean by that?"

"Well, you see…" Jaden began, thinking of just how he could word everything without sounding completely bonkers, although he gave up on that pretty quickly. Doing his best to recount all the events that had happened to him so far, Crowler listened intently to Jaden's tale. It was certainly a strange story to hear, a boy falling from the sky with no memories or hardly an identity to his name being taken in by a prince and tasked to journey across the dimensions to discover his identity, wasn't exactly a story one could tell in a way that made it sound normal. But something about Jaden's innocent demeanor made Crowler believe him. Of course, Alexis conferring along the way that what he said was true certainly helped Crowler suspend his disbelief. Still, he certainly had more than a few questions for the young lad.

"I see." the chancellor thought aloud, processing all that he had been told. "Well, that is quite a story, young man."

"Yeah, I know it's pretty crazy." Jaden sighed, not at all surprised by Crowler's comment. "I wish I could explain it better, but that's the best I can do."

"Atticus sent us here because he thought you could tell us something about the celestials that might help him figure this all out." Alexis said, hoping to get this over with quickly, though somehow she could just tell that wasn't going to be possible. "Can you help us?"

"Well, it's hard to say." Crowler observed, crossing his left arm across his chest he nestled his bottom lip between the joint of his right pointer finger and thumb he conferred with his thoughts for a moment. "I'd certainly have to confer with my studies to be sure. But unfortunately, I don't have the time to spare right now…"

Scoffing quietly under her breath Alexis crossed her arms, frustrated, although she saw something like this coming. She didn't want to be rude to the distinguished chancellor, but she also wanted to get back to her brother as soon as possible. Taking a step forward, Jaden made haste to recover from her rude behavior.

"Why not? I-If I may ask?" Jaden questioned, quickly stepping in front of Alexis, effectively cutting her out of the conversation until she could get herself to a less frustrated state.

"You may." Crowler nodded, turning back to his desk he took a seat once more, sighing as he looked back down at the document laying on the mahogany desk. "You see, my boy. As our dear princess is no doubt aware as well, the… esteemed leader of the sixth dimension has been making attempts to push his reach further beyond his own dimensional borders." he began to explain, a heavy sigh escaping from his deep purple lips at the mention of the sixth dimension's leader. From what Jaden remembered of what Syrus had told him, it seemed like more people than dimension nine had a problem with the sixth. Or rather, a problem with their leader. "That damned Viper has grown bold. He's sent a battalion to infiltrate our borders. A means to try and _convince_ me to cooperate with his radical delusions."

"Bastard." Alexis muttered under her breath. She had seen Viper before at dimensional councils held in the past when she had gone along with her brother, and even her parents before they passed away. Just looking at that man she could feel the evil radiating from his soul. And she couldn't at all put it past him to invade another dimension, especially to serve his own selfish desires.

"Of course, I immediately dispatched a battalion of our own, intending to push them back to their own dimension." Crowler continued, his mood deteriorating as he thought further about the situation. "Among that battalion was young Chazz Princeton. The finest warrior our dimension has seen in many a generation."

"Was..?" Jaden asked, trepidation in his tone as he worried about the answer Crowler would give.

"Indeed." Crowler nodded, one more sigh escaping before shaking his head for a moment, taking the document up in his hands, closing his purplish blue eyes for a moment he looked back up at the two teenagers. "This morning, shortly after I spoke with Prince Atticus, I was informed that young Chazz had been taken prisoner."

"Idiot." Alexis scoffed under her breath, seemingly annoyed by what Crowler had told them. Taking a step forward she pushed Jaden aside, her eyes narrowed as she proceeded to inquire further. "How does the _greatest warrior in the whole dimension_ get captured?" her tone was one of anger and sarcasm all at once, like she had some history with this young man. Jaden could tell she must have met him before, and she probably didn't like him very much judging by how mockingly she referred to him. "Did he get too overconfident and try to take them all on himself? Or is he just not the warrior you thought he was?"

"From this account of the battle, it seems that once the enemy soldiers learned of his presence on the field, they targeted and overwhelmed him. It seems they were planning to apprehend him from the start." Crowler recounted, referring to the document he had been fretting over for what seemed like quite a while. He lowered his head into his hands, he felt such immense guilt having sent the boy along, although he couldn't have known what would happen. "Young Chazz is like a son to me. If anything were to happen to that boy…" sighing, Crowler looked back up at the two before him, doing his best to hold himself together in front of the children, collecting himself for a moment he continued. "But I digress. I'd be happy to assist you in any way I can young man, but I fear it may take some time. More now that I have my hands full with Viper's degenerates."

"That's alright." Jaden smiled gently, feeling the older man's kind sincerity. "I just appreciate your help."

"Well, you are a fine, honest young man, aren't you?" Crowler chuckled to himself, impressed that someone in his position could be so upstanding and pure. Even going so far as to help a complete stranger take on a radical terrorist organization to save a prince's life purely out of the goodness of his heart. And of course, owing her one for helping him twice but that was neither here nor there. "Now, I'll instruct my staff to prepare rooms for the two of you. I won't have the princess and her companion waiting without showing you our hospitality."

"Thank you very much, chancellor." Jaden smiled, more than appreciative of Crowler's kindness. Very few people Jaden had met recently had been very nice to him, or wanted him around at all, so it was nice to be treated with respect again. Although Prince Atticus had been very kind to him as well after helping Alexis rescue him, she herself was less than thrilled about having him around. "But…isn't there anything we can do to help you..? You seem to have a lot going on right now, I'd feel bad saddling you with even more.."

 _"He really is a goody-goody isn't he?"_ Alexis thought, crossing her arms as she observed Jaden's behavior. _"Not entirely a bad thing, but still, it's probably gonna get him in serious trouble at this rate."_

"Well now, I certainly appreciate your offer, young man." Crowler chuckled, surprised he was so eager to make himself useful. "If you'd like, I'm sure I could come up with something for you to do. But why don't you just relax for now?"

"Yes, sir." Jaden nodded, not about to argue with the older man while he was being so kind to them despite his clear distress. "But, if there's anything we can do to help you, please let us know."

"Very well." Crowler nodded back, pressing the button on his desk meant to summon one of his attendants. Happy that there were such upstanding youths left in the world even in such difficult and trying times. Yet still somehow the boy was reminding him of Chazz. True, the young warrior wasn't nearly as overtly kind as Jaden seemed to be, but something about his eagerness to be useful reminded him of his dear boy. Chazz wasn't his real son, but the boy didn't have the greatest family life and Crowler always viewed him like a son nonetheless, wanting better for him than the brothers who treated him like trash and abused him for years. The near middle aged chancellor thought about the missing child as he waited for his attendant to arrive to show the two teens to the guest quarters. He would've done anything in his power to bring the boy back safely. And in that event he'd lecture him extensively about his carelessness and overconfident behavior in battle. But still he couldn't help but be horribly worried for the young warrior.

 _"Damn idiot."_ Alexis thought, not a big fan of Chazz to begin with but hearing he was dumb enough to let himself get captured after always being so overconfident in himself in the past in the most annoying and frustrating way, it was just infuriating. Always talking about how great he was and how no one was as skilled a warrior as him. And it was that behavior she couldn't stand. _"When I get my hands on him he's gonna regret bragging about himself all those years."_

Jaden caught the angry fire in Alexis's eyes. He had already sensed she didn't exactly like this Chazz guy, but he hadn't realized just how deeply that potential hatred seemed to go. Waiting only a few moments longer there was a soft knock on the office door before the attendant finally entered. Crowler smiled slightly, nodding in acknowledgment he gestured to the two teens.

"My dear, please escort the princess and her companion to the guest quarters." He requested, keeping his calm facade as strong as he could, not wanting to worry the young red haired attendant. Nodding. the girl bowed respectfully, her gorgeous long red locks bouncing around with the movement of her body.

"Of course, chancellor." She said, turning her emerald eyes to the two in question. "Please follow me."

The two teens silently nodded, exiting Crowler's office and leaving the man to his heavy thoughts they followed the young attendant out into the hall and down the corridors of the chancellor's tower to the guest quarters. Keeping his mouth shut Jaden didn't dare break the silence between the three of them as they walked, the attendant quietly showing them the way while Alexis brooded to herself. Jaden knew the last place she wanted to be was here with her brother back at home by himself, but after hearing about this Chazz guy from Chancellor Crowler, she seemed to be even angrier than she already kind of was. Had he the courage he would have probably tried to ask her about it, but honestly he really didn't want her to beat the shit out of him which at this point seeing how angry she appeared to be, it seemed the most likely scenario should he dare be so bold.

"We're here." The ginger attendant said, her soft spoken voice still enough to slice through the silence like a well tempered blade. Snapping out of his thoughts Jaden looked up at her, glancing around he finally actually registered the slight change in setting. The guest quarters weren't entirely less glamorous than the main tower, but still there was a visible difference. Looking at her for a second the attendant motioned to the door on the left wall.

"This will be your room, Mr. Yuki." She said, opening the room for him so he could go inside. "You can rest for now, the chancellor will probably want to see you both later."

"Yes, ma'am." Jaden nodded, offering her a gentle smile. "Thank you." Leaving the two ladies, Jaden entered the room. It was decently sized for a guest room, similar to the one he had stayed in back in the ninth dimension. Sighing quietly to himself Jaden flopped onto the large bed, sinking into the fluffy mattress he didn't realize just how tired he was after everything he had experienced, even the uneventful parts. He was exhausted just _thinking_ about himself, trying to figure out anything at all and not getting any leads. Letting his eyelids act on their own volition, he quickly found his energy levels dropping. He hadn't slept too much the night before, keeping himself awake most of the night thinking about what went down trying to save Alexis's brother. Something told him that would be far from the last fight he would have to endure, and something about that thought frightened him, only helping the fact that he hadn't slept nearly enough the night before to not be tired now. Letting his eyes finally close Jaden let himself slip into sleep. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to rest long, but even a short time would be enough for him for now. Still, there was never any rest for the weary.

_"Jaden."_

Stirring as he slept Jaden heard the voice in his head. A strong, warm voice dispelling what little semblance of a dream that may have been forming beforehand. There was something familiar about the voice, but he couldn't place it.

_"It's nearly time, Jaden."_

The voice was familiar, but still he was certain he had never heard it before. At least not in the time he could actually remember being alive, which was only about a week's time by that point. Perhaps it was someone from the past he had long forgotten, despite that even though he could feel no malice coming from the voice, something about it made him physically uncomfortable. Even in his sleep he could feel how uncomfortable his body was, honestly afraid of hearing someone talk directly in his mind like that, powerful enough to overtake his subconscious and disable his dreams. All he wanted to do now was wake up.

_"Time to learn who you truly are."_

Struggling against his sleep's unnatural hold for a few more moments his eyes shot open, bolting up into a sitting position Jaden took a few deep breaths, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He had never heard voices in his head before, period. Much less a voice so clear and directly in his mind like that. It was a little scary honestly, and whoever it was seemed to know a great deal about him, which of course they didn't deign themselves to divulge any of that information to him. Sighing quietly Jaden just laid there, not really knowing what to do with himself now. But one thing he did know for certain, was that if what the voice told him was true, everything from then on was going to start getting that much stranger.


	8. Liberation

_**-Chapter 8-** _

Nothing about this was what Jaden expected to be doing now. One minute he was having a nice dinner with the chancellor, and the next he was sitting in what was described to him as a "vehicle" alongside a very angry Alexis and the rest of a special task force assigned to bring that Chazz guy back to the chancellor from whatever enemy camp he had been taken to. Alexis sat beside him, her arms crossed and her eyes closed, no doubt brooding to herself about not wanting to be on the mission at all. She had been very unhappy with Crowler's request for them to accompany the task force, but still she found herself unable to say no to the near middle aged chancellor.

* * *

_"What!?" Alexis questioned, her eyebrows narrowing as she processed what Crowler had just said to her, slamming her hands down on the table as she stood from her seat. "You're joking, right? You can't seriously expect me to march into enemy space just to drag that damn moron back here!"_

" _Now, now, there's no need for hostility." Crowler attempted to assuage, seemingly not surprised she had reacted the way she did when he asked. "I know how you feel about young Chazz, my dear. I only asked because I know I can trust you to bring him back safely." he explained, taking a sip of water he looked at the two teens on either side of the dinner table before him. He knew her feelings on Chazz weren't the best. They had met years ago, before she ran away from her royal life, and their two personalities didn't exactly mix. In fact, just the opposite. She always thought he was an arrogant son of a bitch with no sense of honor, always looking out for himself, and on top of that he had been rather overt and pushy with the feelings he more than swiftly developed for her, which she did not reciprocate. But they were just children then, she hadn't watched him grow and change into the young man he was becoming. The young man Crowler would have been proud to call his son if the universe had been so kind. "And actually, I'd like to ask young Jaden to accompany the task force as well."_

" _Me?" Jaden inquired, pointing at himself in the manner of a confused child, which to be fair was exactly what he was. "But why? I'm not really much of a fighter?"_

" _Well from what dear Atticus told me when we spoke, you played an integral role in his rescue, young man." Crowler smiled, trusting Atticus's account of the whole incident was accurate. "I would certainly feel more at ease knowing the two of you were accompanying the team." looking the teens over one more time Alexis slowly sat back down, trying to contain her distaste for the young warrior. "And I give you my word. Once Chazz is returned safely to me, I shall share with you all the information you need that I am able."_

" _I still think it's what he deserves." Alexis muttered under her breath, unable to contain all of her distaste for the boy, though she was making a solid effort. "A reality check."_

" _My dear, please…" Crowler sighed, understanding her hatred for the young warrior, but still it hurt his heart to see it in practice. Especially now, when his concern ran so deep. "There is... another reason I'm asking the both of you to accompany the task force."_

" _What do you mean?" Jaden asked, catching Alexis's gaze as she turned her eyes back to Crowler as well, her silent curiosity evident on her face._

" _Earlier this evening, I received a most disturbing message from one of the leaders of the battalion Lord Viper sent here to... convince me to cooperate with his delusions." Allowing a deep sigh escape his lips, Crowler couldn't help but allow his worry to start to show. "It was said that if I did not comply with Lord Viper's will and surrender control of this dimension to him, young Chazz would be lost to us forever." his distress growing as he thought on the idea, Crowler pulled a card from the left side of his coat, the pink ruffles serving as a lapel bouncing slightly from the movement. "As well, they sent this." presenting the card to Alexis, knowing that she would be able to recognize it, she sighed as her eyes met the little yellow gremlin monstrosity pictured on it. It was Chazz's most trusted creature, and the ace of his deck. God, she hated that thing._

" _Idiot." She scoffed under her breath, though even she was beginning to feel some of the weight Crowler carried begin to fall upon her own shoulders._

" _My dear, I ask you to do this because I know you of all people can understand the weight I feel within my heart." Crowler continued, holding Chazz's card securely in his now trembling hands, looking her straight in the eyes, his own brimming with anxiety. "I care for the child as if he were my own flesh and blood. I could not bare to lose him."_

_Jaden remained still and silent throughout the exchange, not daring to even attempt to speak a single word. He could feel the heavy atmosphere around them thicken with each passing moment, Alexis's hate clashing with Crowler's worry. He almost couldn't bare Alexis's silence, wanting her to say even a single word. Crowler's hands continued to tremble, sick with worry over the young warrior. He needed to know her answer._

" _Please."_

* * *

Alexis hardly said a word after agreeing to go and rescue Chazz. She had taken out her communicator a few times, only to put it back in her pocket a few seconds later. Jaden figured she was probably thinking about contacting her brother since he knew she was still worried about him, but she never did. Honestly, he wondered why she never had during the three years she was out on her own. Maybe the thought of facing him after running away like that was simply too hard for her? Either way he knew she wouldn't like it if he asked so he kept his mouth shut. In fact he had hardly asked her any questions at all since he met her the first time. But to be fair he didn't have to be a genius to tell that she wasn't too keen on the idea of him as a human being, and it was pretty difficult to make conversation with someone who would hardly want to talk to him at all. But still, sitting around waiting for them to reach their destination in relative silence was excruciatingly painful, so he dared to speak up.

"So, what happened between you and this Chazz guy?" Jaden dared ask, too terribly curious not to ask. "I mean, why is it you hate him so much?"

"Simple." She answered, keeping her arms crossed and her narrowed eyes turned away from the brunette next to her. "Because he's obnoxious, arrogant, and he walks around thinking nothing can touch him. That he's invincible." Scoffing under her breath she thought back to the first and last time they met, not entirely happy with the memory, scowling as she thought about it more. "And on top of that, when we met years ago, he kept trying to convince me that we were soulmates, and that I just didn't see it." Turning her eyes slightly in Jaden's direction he winced at just how angry and displeased she looked. "As if I could ever _not_ hate someone that stupid."

 _"Whoa.."_ Jaden thought to himself, not really expecting such a strong answer.

"But that was years ago, wasn't it? I mean, surely he's not the same person he was then?"

"People like him don't change." Alexis grumbled, glancing out the window to the drop point closing in from the distance. "Not in such a short time. In the grand scale, three years is no time at all."

"I dunno about that." Jaden disagreed, of the opinion that anyone could change given the time and the chance.

"Yeah, well what do you know?" Alexis scoffed, not wanting an actual answer to that. To be honest she didn't want to talk to him at all, but she knew that wasn't entirely feasible. But what she wanted more was to finish here and return home to her brother. She spoke with him before Crowler had called them to dinner, but it didn't do hardly a single thing to assuage her concern. Of course he assured her that he was alright, and that everything was under control back home but still she couldn't help but worry about him after seeing him nearly get killed in front of her. She realized it was rude but she fully intended on ditching Jaden once she got him all squared away after getting Chazz back to Crowler like they agreed. Her brother was more important to her than anyone or anything in the entire universe, and besides she hardly considered Jaden her responsibility so she would be perfectly content with passing him off to someone else once this was all over.

 _"Sorry kid, but I have my own problems to deal with. I can't keep hand holding you through yours."_ She thought, honestly feeling bad about being so flippant, dismissive, and relatively blase towards him this entire time. He was a good guy, that much she knew about him, but the way he was now he was very dependent on the help of others, and babysitting someone her age wasn't something she felt the slightest bit of desire to do. Keeping silent she waited for them to reach the drop point, hoping to just get this over with as soon as possible, her eyes narrowing as they got closer. _"When I get my hands on that idiot..."_

"Princess, we're approaching the drop point!" One of the soldiers they were accompanying informed, turning from the front of the vehicle to face her for a moment before turning his eyes forward again. "Once we get there, it's not that far a walk to the enemy camp." He continued to explain. "There's only a few hundred of them and our forces will vastly outnumber them once the reinforcements arrive shortly as well. So you two don't need to worry about fighting too much."

"So basically, Crowler only sent us out here to make sure his _precious_ Chazz gets home in time for dinner." Alexis scoffed, unhappy with the notion of having her time wasted in her opinion. But she did understand Crowler's desire to protect someone he cared for, that much the man had been absolutely right about, and sending the people who took down a terrorist organization and saved a prince's life was actually pretty smart all things considered. Despite the deep disdain she held for Chazz, even she couldn't fault Crowler for his logic on the matter. Besides, it wasn't an unknown concept that Crowler treated Chazz like he was his own son, and sending out upwards of a thousand more men alongside Alexis and Jaden to bring him back despite there only being around four or five hundred enemy soldiers left was definitely something she couldn't put past the wannabe surrogate father.

"Well either way, once we reach the camp, you two just focus on getting Chazz out. We'll take care of the soldiers." The operative continued, sounding more than confident in his own abilities on top of the qualifications of the seventh dimension's military forces.

"Well then, we should be in and out pretty quick." Jaden added, trying to improve Alexis's attitude on the subject, knowing full well how her strong emotions could derail her intentions. "Right?"

"Whatever." She mumbled, keeping her arms crossed Alexis waited. Laying a thick veil of silence over the crew they soon came to a stop. Exiting the vehicle Jaden looked around at the scenery, or rather lack thereof. The earth around them looked almost like a wasteland compared to the mechanical city. The ground was hard and dusty, and rocky canyons that looked to have a grey tinge to the earthy orange and brown colors surrounded them. The drop point was at the base of a relatively steep looking hill, a valley reportedly on the other side where the sixth dimension forces had set up camp, and where they had reportedly taken Chazz after taking him prisoner.

"The scout report says this is where they've taken him. So we don't leave here without him." The squad leader instructed, prepared to see the mission through. "Now once we get up there, the princess and her friend will make their way to the main tent. Most likely that's where they've got the kid stashed."

"But won't it be the most guarded then?" Jaden questioned, raising his hand as he posed his question. He didn't like the idea of rushing into another fight, still reeling a little from the last one on top of the fact that he was still tired from the gross lack of sleep he had gotten in the last two days. If it weren't for that voice in his head he figured he probably would've been more rested, but something about that occurrence had shaken him enough to keep him awake the majority of the night before, before being sent out on the current mission. Yet at the same time something deep inside him told him everything would be okay.

"Most likely." The squad leader nodded, amused by the boy's relatively childish mannerisms thus far. "But from what the chancellor tells us, you two shouldn't have too much of a problem taking out a few soldiers. Especially if the princess deigns to break that royal deck of hers out."

"I'd rather not. But we'll see." Alexis stated, her cold eyes landing on the squad leader. She preferred not to rely on her deck, determined to prove that her own skills were enough to see her through a fight. Though of course, she wasn't too proud to use her cards if she thought she needed to. "Besides, you'll be too busy with your own battle to watch my cards anyway."

"Well, no matter." He dismissed, conceding to Alexis's accurate point. Before turning to address the rest of the squad. "Let's get going. We'll get things started before the reinforcements arrive. Once these two free the kid, squad B, you'll be here to take them back to the capital. The chancellor wants his prized warrior back yesterday, so you'd better get your asses in gear, you hear me?!"

"SIR!"

Following Squad A up the hill, Jaden prepared himself for what could be before them. Everyone was convinced that with so few enemy soldiers in comparison to what was to come this would be a relatively simple mission, but Jaden still felt uneasy. These weren't just a bunch of people angry with the monarchy, these were actual trained soldiers sent to remind the chancellor of the strength of the enemy he was making. They had even managed to capture his greatest warrior. Even if it wasn't as hard a mission as he imagined such a thing to be, he still couldn't in his wildest dreams imagine it would be easy like the others claimed.

 _"C'mon, Jay. You're just psyching yourself out."_ Jaden thought, shaking his head as he prepared to reach the top of the hill. _"Just breathe, and you'll be fine."_ Heeding his own advice Jaden took a few deep breaths, collecting himself for a moment Alexis grabbed his arm, pulling him forwards so he wouldn't fall behind. Reaching the top of the hill Jaden could see the enemy camp slightly below, the slope down not nearly as steep as the one up. The camp wasn't too terribly huge, enough tents to house the upwards of four to five hundred soldiers present scattered about the valley, a larger tent in the center most likely belonging to the higher ranking officers and probably where Chazz was being held as well after all, they took him as a show of their power, to use him to force Crowler to cooperate. He was like a trophy to them, no doubt they were keeping him locked up like one too.

"Down there." Alexis pointed, ready to get this over with. "Let's go. The sooner we get down there the better. Besides, it looks like they've already sent a hundred or so out to patrol or terrorize townspeople. The reinforcements will take care of them."

"Uh, o-okay." Jaden nodded, quickly following as Alexis started down the hill, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword as she approached the camp, the squad dispersing and entering from different directions around the two in an attempt to spread out the soldiers who remained in camp. Placing his hand on his own blade Jaden stuck close to Alexis's path as they made their way through the camp. In the distance Jaden could hear the shouts of soldiers as they began to notice the presence of the squad throughout the camp, orders being barked out to take care of the invading enemies.

"Look there, Jaden." Alexis instructed, gesturing to the large tent approaching on the horizon. "Guards out front. And there's probably a couple of officers inside."

"So what do we do?" Jaden questioned, waiting to hear the plan she probably already had waiting in the wings.

" _You_ just stand back and let me take care of these goons." Alexis ordered, extending her hand out, Jaden's eyes widened as he watched the light blue sparkles appear from her palm and manifest into her deck. Gripping it tightly she drew three cards from the stack, the cards taking on a light blue glow before forming into two ballerina looking creatures beside her. The third shone bright, the blue light enveloping Alexis's own body, the sparkles dazzled Jaden's eyes as he watched in awe seeing a royal deck in proper action for the first time. "I'll use the spell polymerization to fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater and form the mighty Cyber Blader!" Swinging her arm across her body the light enveloped the two creatures, fusing them together. When the light faded Jaden saw the beautiful fusion before them, completely in awe of what he was experiencing.

"You're amazing, Alexis!" He praised, beyond excited by the cool ass shit she was doing right before his eyes. Not paying much attention to Jaden, Alexis focused her energy on the task at hand.

"Pulverize those villains, Cyber Blader!" She commanded, pointing to the soldiers as they finally realized the two had made it so far, making ready to attack. "Attack with Whirlwind Blade!"

"Whoa!" Jaden gasped, watching as the fusion creature hurled herself towards the approaching soldiers, the sheer power of the blades on her feet knocking the group down and out in a matter of seconds. Her purpose complete, Alexis called the creature back to her deck, catching her breath for a second as she recovered the energy she put into the attack.

"C'mon." She said, motioning for Jaden to follow before returning her deck back to the ether for safe keeping, the blue sparkles still catching Jaden's eye. "Any officers in there will be a piece of cake."

"Right." Jaden responded, grabbing his blade from its sheath he sighed quietly under his breath. He didn't want to kill anyone, but if it came to that he knew he wouldn't have much of a choice. Picking up the pace he followed Alexis over to the front of the tent, poking his head around the edge of the opening just enough to get a quick peek inside he could see three officers inside, preparing their swords to fight no doubt having heard the commotion outside, along with what appeared to be someone unconscious towards the back of the tent. Chazz no doubt, Jaden figured. Grabbing Jaden's arm Alexis pulled him back slightly from the entrance-way, motioning for him to keep quiet they listened intently to the conversation they could hear unfolding inside.

"The chancellor truly is a fool." One of the officers scoffed, pulling his blade from its sheath. His voice was cold and heartless, definitely the kind of person one would expect from the sixth dimension. "Surely he must understand that if he wants to see his precious warrior again unharmed, he had better surrender."

"Perhaps, but sir, they do outnumber us." Another conceded, though certainly not thrilled about the fact. "Perhaps it's time we returned to Lord Viper. I'm sure he would be most appreciative, having the seventh dimension's trophy delivered to him in such pristine condition."

"Or," The third and final began, kneeling down beside their unconscious prisoner for a moment. Taking the boy's face into his hand for a moment, a frown coming over the officer's own face "Why don't we just kill him and be done with it? The chancellor has had far too many chances to comply with Lord Viper. Perhaps it's time he was taught a lesson."

"No. We wait." The lead officer scolded, not too keen with the idea proposed. "Chancellor Crowler still has twelve hours to surrender. After which time, if he has done so, the child will be returned to him. If not, he will then be taken to Lord Viper, where his fate will be decided. _That_ will be the lesson his eminence will be taught. Until such a time, the child is not to be significantly harmed."

Turning a worried glance to Alexis, Jaden kept a firm grip on his sword, wanting nothing more than to put a stop to their dastardly plan. Exchanging a silent nod with Alexis the two took a quick moment to prepare themselves before they burst inside, their blades at the ready to eliminate the enemy and reclaim the stolen warrior.

"Intruders!" One of the officers shouted, pointing his sword at the two teens. Unaware that even though they were outnumbered three to two, the officers were far out matched by Alexis's skills alone.

"Jaden, do it!" She commanded, running at the officers before slicing through the first one with ease. Pausing for only a second to work up his courage, Jaden took his small blade and launched it at the second officer, turning his eyes away before he could watch it plunge into the man's chest. Jaden heard his pained cry before he fell to the ground. Feeling awful for doing such a thing Jaden sighed quietly, keeping his guard up he approached the downed officer, placing his foot on the man's body before bending over to pull his blade out of the officer's chest. Having easily defeated the other officers Alexis patted Jaden on the back, realizing that was the first time he had ever intentionally killed a person before. Taking pity on him and the loss of his innocence for a moment Alexis turned her eyes to the only other living person in the room.

"Chazz." She observed, her hazel eyes landing on the unconscious boy on the ground, tied to one of the support beams holding the tent above their heads. Placing her sword back on her back she went over to the unconscious boy, kneeling down beside him, Jaden coming over and standing behind her, observing the sleeping young man. His skin looked extremely pale and fair contrasting with his spiky, deep raven hair, and although his features looked harsh to Jaden, somehow in his state of unconsciousness Chazz's face looked soft and peaceful. He wasn't at all like Jaden pictured he would be.

"Is he okay..?" Jaden asked, peeking over her shoulder a little more to try and get a better look since she was blocking him slightly. Although she could see the slow rise and fall of his chest despite the tight ropes binding him to the support beam, she quickly checked his pulse just to be sure.

"He is from what I can see." She answered, nodding before turning her head back to Jaden slightly for a moment. "No obvious injuries at least." Turning back around she gently shook him for a second, then raised her hand to the left side of Chazz's face, moving the raised collar of his shirt out of the way in the process, patting his cheek in an attempt to rouse him from his comatose state. "C'mon Chazz, wake up."

Only taking a few more moments of effort on Alexis's part, Chazz finally began to stir. Moaning quietly as he tried and failed to shift his body around Chazz's eyes slowly pried themselves open, revealing his gorgeous black orbs he turned his blurred vision to the familiar face kneeling beside him.

"A-Alexis..?" He groaned, registering the massive headache assailing him from his extremely uncomfortable position, and having been knocked around a little before being stashed away. Confused by the girl's presence Chazz stared for a moment, his tired gaze wandering down unintentionally as he tried to wake himself up. Catching his wandering eyes Alexis's own hazel orbs narrowed, more than aware of just where his tired eyes had turned themselves to. Curling her hand into a fist she swung it as hard as she could into his jaw. Something she had wanted to do since the day they first met.

"H-Hey!" Chazz shouted, the blow more than enough to shoot some more energy into him. "What the hell was that for!?"

"For being a complete dumb ass, that's what!" Alexis countered, honestly halfway tempted to hit him again. "Besides, I've wanted to do that for over three years!"

"A-Are you alright?" Jaden asked, honestly a little shocked that she actually hit him like that.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Chazz nodded back dismissively, annoyed that the first thing that she did when he woke up was clock him in the jaw. Hardly the rescue he figured Crowler would conduct, but still if it got him out of enemy hands he didn't care too much. Although being taken prisoner had already hurt his pride enough _without_ getting completely sucker punched by a girl like that. "Just hurry up and get me the hell outta here, will you!?"

"You're lucky we're even here at all you idiot!" Alexis shouted, trying to be mindful so she wouldn't be too loud, but the animosity she held towards Chazz didn't help her too much in that regard as her anger only fueled the outburst she had been holding back for years. "If I had my way I wouldn't even be here helping your sorry ass! And then where would you be!? Either dead, or Viper's prisoner forever! So just shut your entitled ass mouth and let us handle this!"

"Well if you didn't want to come then what the hell are you doing here?" Chazz muttered, even more annoyed now that she was tearing into him in front of another person, though considering he had no idea who the brunette in the tent was it still bothered him slightly less than it normally would have.

"I'm only here because Crowler asked me to come, because he wanted his _precious_ baby back." She mocked, though not directing any of her rudeness towards Crowler in any way, the man was too good even in her eyes.

"Well you know, he's not my father, Alexis!" Chazz argued, fully understanding that the man cared for him like they really were father and son, but still it could be kind of annoying sometimes now that he was growing up.

"Oh believe me, I _know_!"

"We… uh… really don't have time to sit around and argue like this. Do we…?" Jaden dared interrupt, starting to feel horribly uncomfortable amidst the petty squabble unfolding before him. Besides that, it really was getting even more dangerous for them to stick around any longer, sooner or later more soldiers would come and find them there if they delayed any more. The two ceased their arguing for a moment as Jaden voiced his concern. Letting out a heavy sigh, Alexis finally started to slowly calm herself down.

"You're right. We don't." Alexis responded, cocking her head in Chazz's direction, she stepped away from the raven haired warrior. "Go on and untie him. Then we'll get going." Going to stand over by the entrance to watch for anyone coming around, she did her best to get her emotions in check. She hated that boy so much, but now was no time to act out like that.

"Uh, right!" Jaden exclaimed as he swiftly moved behind Chazz, dropping to his knees so he could actually reach the ropes firmly tied around Chazz's wrists. Pulling at the rough chord Jaden realized how grateful Chazz must have been for the metal gauntlets shielding him from potential injuries he could have self-inflicted by struggling if his wrists had been bare. The gauntlets only covered the back of his hands and about three quarters of his fingers, little plates separated at the joints of his fingers but Jaden felt better for him knowing he couldn't have hurt himself trying to get himself free.

"Hurry up back there!" Chazz commanded, growing impatient with the clearly incompetent brunette. "We have to get out of here before more of those bastards show up!"

"Right! S-Sorry!" Jaden exclaimed, opting not to waste any more time he pulled his short blade out again, cautiously cutting through the ropes like he had done for Atticus before and also being careful not to cut the raven haired teen by accident. Making one last cut Jaden pulled the ropes away from Chazz, discarding them in the corner of the tent. "There you go. Now let's get out of here!" Grabbing Chazz's arm Jaden gently pulled him up from the ground, feeling the warrior's body tremble slightly as he made the attempt to shift his weight to his legs to stand.

"Let go of me." Chazz growled, narrowing his eyes at the brunette he waved him away, brushing the dust from the ground off of his pitch black trousers before straightening the now sloppy puffed long sleeves of his light lavender top tucking them further into his gauntlets. Walking over to the table on the left side of the tent Chazz grabbed a sword that Jaden assumed belonged to him that the officers most likely would have confiscated from him, as well as what looked to be a deck box, strapping the small box's belt around his lower right thigh, as well strapping the sword back onto his waist. Chazz re-positioned the deep purple sash belt around his waist above the belt holding his sword sheath. Continuing to make sure his clothes were in order, Chazz brushed off his black, silver trimmed vest which stopped at his midriff, his lavender top opened enough in the front so that they could see a slight bit of his pecks. Securing the silver diamond shaped knee guards he wore, Chazz nodded to himself, walking over to the entrance of the tent to join Alexis, the low heel of his boots somehow managing to click on the earthy ground beneath him.

"There's a team waiting beyond the hill to take us back to the city." Alexis informed, waiting for Jaden to get his butt in gear before turning and walking out of the tent, reaching back for her sword in case there were any more soldiers about. "We just have to get back there without any trouble, then the reinforcements will take care of the rest of these bastards."

"Good. Let's get the hell out of here. Trust me, the last thing any of us want is to get caught." Chazz replied, not wanting to spend another second on the enemy's claimed ground. Not until they were able to take it back from the filthy animals who took it from them. Following her out of the tent Chazz kept his own watch for any soldiers about, Jaden following closely as well, just hoping they could get back as soon as possible. Sticking close to the two much more experienced warriors Jaden was surprised the mission had gone so smoothly. Of course he had been told just how good Crowler's elite troops were, and he didn't exactly doubt them but he did question how they could've just walked in and taken their prized prisoner so easily.

"Looks like they caught on." Chazz observed, the sound of his voice snapping Jaden out of his thoughts, quickly glancing around he noticed the rather large group of soldiers beginning to chase them down.

"We don't have time to deal with them." Alexis ordered when she heard Chazz begin to remove his sword from its sheath, more than willing to risk the entire mission to get his payback.

"Well they're gaining on us!" Chazz retorted, annoyed at what she was insinuating. He hated being ordered around since that's all his family ever seemed to do when he was growing up and even still now. But still as annoying as it was, he knew she had a point. Even though just the three of them could take these soldiers fairly easily he assumed, but with more no doubt on the way since there were a few hundred scattered around the camp even with the rest of the rescue squad fighting out there, and about a hundred probably returning soon from scouting or terrorizing townsfolk or whatever it was they were up to, unfortunately she was right. They really had to just keep going and get out of there. Although it seemed Alexis still had a different idea in mind

"You two go!" She ordered, stopping dead in her tracks before whipping out her deck to summon a mighty creature. "I'll slow them down, and follow right behind!"

"But Alexis-"

"-But nothing! Just go!"

Jaden wanted to stay and argue, but he knew there wasn't any point. Nodding despite his apprehension Jaden grabbed Chazz's arm, pulling him along as he regained his quick pause, the raven haired warrior quickly swatting him away. Jaden trusted Alexis, and he had seen her incredible strength and the power of her cards first hand, he knew she could handle herself and besides she said she was only going to slow them down and closely follow them back to the rendezvous, so he wasn't too terribly concerned. Honestly if anything, he was thankful things had gone so smoothly for them thus far. He knew it wouldn't last, but that's exactly why he was so thankful now. Listening to the sound of Alexis's assault behind them Jaden led Chazz back to the other side of the hill where the rest of squad B was waiting to take them back to the city. And once they returned, Jaden hoped Crowler would finally be able to help him somehow.


	9. Secrets of Ages Past

_**-Chapter 9-** _

The journey back to the city was a quiet one. Alexis hadn't been too far behind like she promised, arriving at the transport only about a minute after Jaden and Chazz were hastily ushered into the vehicle by the remaining squad. She didn't say a word when she rejoined them, only breaking her silence to shout and the driver to get them back as fast as possible. Jaden could still see the deep seated anger in her eyes. He knew nothing was playing out the way she wanted it to, and that had clearly been the case for a very long time. There was a resentment and a pain in her heart that much was clear. And the longer she was apart from her brother now, Jaden honestly started to worry her pain would only get worse with her trying to keep it bottled up as best she could. Once they began the trip back not even Chazz said a single word until they arrived, acknowledging the squad leader's announcement.

"Thank you." He said, showing a bit of tact, earning a slightly confused sideways glance from Alexis as she finally tuned back into the world around her. Exiting the transport Jaden kept quiet while the soldiers escorted them back to the chancellor's tower in a hurry, knowing the elder man would want to see Chazz as soon as possible, leaving them once they entered the corridor leading to Crowler's office.

"So." Chazz spoke up again, prompting the other two to turn in his direction though he kept his eyes off of them as best he could, his expression more neutral than his slightly narrowed eyes would have suggested. "You two saw Crowler already. How was he?" Shaking his head Chazz sighed quietly, already knowing the answer they were bound to give. "He was worried, wasn't he?"

"He was." Jaden nodded, allowing Alexis to remain in her thoughts for a little bit longer. "And he kept telling us… you were like a son to him." A tiny smile crawled across his face as they approached the chancellor's door, remembering the conversation they had had before. "He really cares about you."

"I guess so." Chazz sighed, knowing exactly how the next few minutes were going to play out. Approaching Crowler's door Chazz raised his right hand, gently knocking on the wood, the metal of his gauntlet clanging differently than bare flesh. Waiting only a moment for Crowler's allowance for them to enter, Chazz reached for the door's handle, stopping when he saw Alexis's hand intercept him. Turning the handle and pushing the door open she led them into the office with Jaden following close behind, Chazz was the last to enter. Crowler's eyes widened when he saw Alexis enter, knowing what her presence had to have meant. But when he laid his eyes on the raven haired warrior alongside them, he slowly stood from his desk, hardly able to get a single word out for a moment. Taking slow, elegant steps out from behind the desk Crowler approached the teens, taking a moment to collect himself though he instantly discarded the idea.

"Oh, my boy!" Crowler let out, rushing over to Chazz, quickly checking him over for any possible injuries. "Are you alright? Did those _barbarians_ harm you!?"

"Nothing too bad." Chazz answered back, his cheeks taking on a slight baby pink hue, a little embarrassed being fussed over like that in front of other people. Especially Alexis. Still, he knew exactly how the nearly middle aged chancellor felt. "I'm fine."

"Oh thank goodness…" Crowler sighed, wrapping his arms around the young warrior, pulling him into his gentle, fatherly embrace. Crowler was beyond relieved that Chazz had returned, and safely on top of that. Barely a scrape or bruise to his name at least in comparison to what Crowler had feared since he learned of the boy's capture. He held Chazz a moment longer, worried that if he let go, somehow it wouldn't be real. It was true Chazz had only been a prisoner for little more than two days, but still Crowler cared very deeply for the boy. Part of him worried something would go wrong, and he would never see the child again, especially after the message they had sent him, warning Crowler that if he didn't cooperate, he would indeed never see the boy again. He had watched Chazz grow from a boy into a young man, trying his best to guide him from afar as best he could, giving him the attention his family did not. It was no secret that Crowler loved the child as if he were his own, but still he couldn't bear even the slightest possibility that he could lose him. "I was terribly worried.."

"Uh… sorry.." Chazz sighed quietly, speaking only loud enough for the chancellor to hear. Chazz merely stood there and allowed Crowler to hold him, more or less extremely awkward and uncomfortable with physical contact with other human beings, much less being awkward with being shown affection at all. He cared for the chancellor too just like it seemed anyone and everyone did, but having his own emotions toyed with and stomped on by his older brothers his entire life, Chazz really just didn't know how to express them properly anymore, ultimately leaving that sort of thing to the others around him.

"Well princess, young Jaden. Both dear Chazz and I owe the two of you a considerable debt." Crowler said, turning his gentle eyes to the two before him, awkwardly averting their eyes from the emotional display around them. "Thank you very much for doing this for us."

"You're very welcome." Jaden answered, offering the chancellor a respectful bow, just glad he was able to make himself useful.

"Don't worry about it too much." Alexis added, turning her eyes back to the chancellor, her expression finally beginning to soften again, seemingly calmed down significantly in comparison to how angry she had been before. "You asked us to go, and we went. It's no big deal."

"You undervalue your actions, my dear." Crowler smiled, finally releasing Chazz from his gentle hug. Chuckling quietly to himself, Crowler stepped closer to the other two teenagers, placing a hand on Jaden's shoulder as he continued to speak. "Now, I believe I owe you my aid as well, young man. Correct?"

"Yes, sir." Jaden nodded in response, excited to finally get some actual help on his quest since his first outing proved fruitless on that account despite the seriously good deed he was able to contribute to, which still made him extremely happy to think about. "If there's even the slightest bit you can tell me about the Neo Spacians, I would really appreciate it.."

"Ah yes. That I can, my boy." Crowler answered, giving his shoulder a light squeeze before returning to his desk, taking a seat back in his chair. Straightening some papers Crowler took up his old research notes, prepared to explain as best he could the most pertinent information he had found. "You may not be aware, young man, as the rest of us are. But there has been an elevation in the dimensional discord as of late. Fighting has escalated, societal harmony has decreased and become imbalanced. I believe these events have been brought about by an ancient legend. One involving your Neo Spacians, actually."

"Really?" Jaden questioned, indeed unaware of the misfortunes Crowler was speaking of, but by the looks on Chazz and Alexis's faces, they knew all too well.

"Indeed." Crowler nodded, referring back to his notes for a moment before speaking again. "You see, in my studies years ago I came across an ancient legend. I'm sure you are familiar at least in part with the many celestials presiding over these twelve dimensions, are you not?"

"Sort of." Jaden nodded, thinking back to what Syrus had explained to him about the subject. "Not too much though."

"Well then, as you know, the Neo Spacians are particularly exalted celestials. There is also the great Rainbow Dragon, divine Cyber End Dragon, and the fourth and final celestial, the Ancient Gears, who's cards were entrusted to my ancestors many centuries ago." Crowler explained, catching the attention of the other two teenagers as well as he spoke. "But it is said that more than a thousand years ago, there was a fifth celestial. A great and powerful creature known as Yubel."

"Yubel…?" Something about that name was familiar to Jaden. Like he had heard it somewhere before... but no matter how hard he contemplated it, nothing came to mind.

"Yes." Crowler nodded. "Yubel was one of the most powerful, and the most beautiful of all. She was worshiped by a great many people. But over time, the humans began to forget her, and her followers and their practices faded away. And as the people forsook her, her anger grew. Eventually, the ugliness in her heart transformed her into a demonic beast. Filled with hatred for the humans that had forsaken her, Yubel took her vengeance. Slaughtering thousands before the celestials were able to tame her wrath once more."

"Whoa…"

"Not even _I've_ heard this one before.." Chazz commented, crossing his arms he listened intently to what Crowler had to say, more than familiar with Crowler's old legends by now. Placing his bottom lip between his thumb and the joint of his pointer finger as he thought over the part of the story that had already been divulged.

"It is said that the celestials did not take pity on her. The mighty Neos himself declaring her an abomination. A demon. And she was cast out into the void beyond all existence." Crowler explained further, the interest and awe on the children's faces only growing as the story progressed. "But, it is also said that before she was cast out, Yubel cursed the twelve dimensions that had forgotten her. And she cursed the Neo Spacians in turn for standing in the way of her revenge. She claimed that one day she would return, and wreak her final vengeance on humanity and the celestials alike, causing untold devastation, destroying everything in her path."

"And… you believe all of the bad stuff going on lately… is because of this Yubel...?" Alexis inquired, raising an eyebrow at the beloved chancellor.

"I believe it may be possible, my dear." Crowler nodded to the fair princess, the general seriousness in his tone becoming ever more present in his voice as the gravity of the possibility became more apparent to the four of them. "Although it is difficult to be certain, the thought had crossed my mind."

"But… what does any of this have to do with me…?" Jaden felt bad asking, he didn't want to be rude or anything but he just couldn't see how relevant to his situation this ancient legend was. But then again, somehow pieces of the story did seem familiar, and yet he had never once heard it before. At least not in his current sorry excuse for a memory. "I mean… I don't get it…?"

"Well, my boy, in that respect we are of the same understanding." Crowler sighed, understanding the boy's confusion. "There has never been any record of any human beings having any connection to the Neo Spacians as you must. At least not in written history. In fact, there is hardly any recorded history involving the Neo Spacians at all." He explained, wishing he could be of more help. "This legend is the only surviving record detailing any actions they have taken in human history."

"So then what's Jaden's deal?" Alexis interrupted, trying her best not to grow too frustrated. "Just who is he?"

 _"Good question…"_ Jaden sighed quietly, wishing he had an answer to that himself.

"Again, that's difficult to say, my dear." Crowler answered, turning his gaze to the fair princess. "But my ancestors were entrusted with the cards of the Ancient Gear celestials themselves, to protect and keep. Perhaps young Jaden has been chosen for a similar purpose."

"But why him?" Chazz spoke up, the thought crossing his mind. "He doesn't look like much to me."

"That's a good question…" Jaden lamented, wanting nothing more than for someone to find the answer and enlighten him. He was tired of not knowing who he was, or anything about the past he may have had. But still he couldn't deny that Crowler was the most helpful in even trying to fill in the rather large gaps so far.

"One can never understand a person's worth from the outside." Crowler answered back, turning his gentle smile Jaden's way. Taking a step forward towards the brunette, he placed an elegant hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps what they saw in him was the purity and strength of his heart."

Jaden could just feel his face turn red. But not because he felt embarrassed. If anything he couldn't imagine anyone saying anything like that about him. It was a strange feeling, but he felt a warmth inside of his chest, and a slight happiness begin to manifest within him. Returning the chancellor's gentle and fatherly smile with one of his own, Jaden couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Maybe. But that doesn't explain why I guess he fell out of the sky and doesn't remember a single thing about his life or _anything_ else before that." Alexis interjected. Crossing her arms across her chest she shifted her weight from her right leg to her left, positive she wasn't the only one who wanted an answer to that burning question, though of course she had forgotten that not everyone present was aware of that information.

"W-Wait a second, what!?" Chazz nearly shouted from the surprise. His eyes widened as he looked swiftly between Alexis and the brunette in question, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. He wasn't surprised he was the only one who didn't know it seemed, after all he had been held captive by the enemy when they first arrived to speak with the chancellor, and even after they had rescued him he had hardly spoken to the brunette. Hell, after their argument he hadn't barely even spoken to Alexis at all, and she probably wouldn't have told him anyway, and it's not like he even asked who Jaden _was_ when they arrived to liberate him. But still he hadn't expected to hear _that_ of all things. "How the hell does that even _happen_!?"

"Believe me… I wish I could tell you…" Jaden shrugged in response, feeling bad that Chazz was so out of the know and that he couldn't offer any answers, but in that aspect they were of the same knowledge. "If I could remember anything before that, maybe I'd have even the faintest idea. But I just… don't…"

"I agree, it is a curious thing…" Crowler inquired, returning to his desk as he wondered quietly to himself. "Indeed, I too should like to know that answer someday…"

_"Me too…"_

"I was sent on this quest to discover why I'm connected to the celestials, and who I am in the first place. But it feels like I'm just going around in circles… and I've hardly learned a thing at all…" sighing, Jaden couldn't help but feel frustrated knowing that. Everything he had done -though good- hadn't afforded him any insight as to his identity. Crowler's legend and theories had given him more possible clues than anything else had so far and he was beyond grateful for that, but still he had no actual concrete _answers._ And on top of that, he had dragged Alexis into it, keeping her from her brother longer than she had intended to be away. Of course it wasn't like he asked her to go rescue Chazz, that was Crowler's request. But still, he couldn't help but feel bad… "What am I supposed to do now…?"

The four stood in silence then, Jaden waiting for an answer the other three couldn't give. It was clear his answer was out there somewhere, but it was also clear no one knew _where_. If it were possible to give up, Jaden honestly would have already begun to consider it. But at even the thought of the consideration, he remembered Syrus. His only friend in the universe. Who believed in him, and defended him when no one else would. He couldn't let the little prince down, he knew better then that. Jaden knew he had to keep going, and find his answer. Then he remembered the voice from his dream.

_"It's nearly time, Jaden. Time to learn who you truly are."_

"You keep going."

Breaking out of his thoughts Jaden turned in the direction of the voice, his eyes confused as he looked at Chazz, surprised that he was speaking to him.

"Wha-"

"-Look." Chazz sighed, shaking his head as he worked up the nerve to say what he was going to say, knowing Crowler would ultimately be unwilling to allow it. "I'm only gonna say this once. If you give up trying to find your answer after like, what? Two mostly failures from what I understand? Then maybe those Neo Spacians should have picked someone else to trust with their power." His eyes narrowed for a moment, unimpressed with Jaden's seeming lack of drive, but still he had to say it. "But clearly they saw something in you, so you'd better not let them down. Besides, I owe you a debt now. Alexis and Crowler too. So if you go forward with this -and I wouldn't say this lightly- … then accept my sword. And allow me to join your quest."

The three stood in silence for a moment, in awe that he would suggest such a thing. Although Alexis seemed to be rather pleased with the idea, no doubt thinking that if it were _Chazz_ babysitting Jaden instead then _she_ could finally go back home to her dear brother and make sure he stayed out of trouble like she was planning to do from the start, but now without a guilty conscience. Crowler on the other hand wasn't quite as thrilled, though Chazz expected as much. The chancellor stood once again from his desk, a great concern washing over his face while his eyes locked on his dear child.

"But my boy, you've only just returned!" He gasped, not wanting to see the precious boy leave again for who knows how long. "You mustn't take your leave so soon!" His tone almost pleading him to stay Crowler rushed over to Chazz, his regal coat flying behind him as he strode swiftly yet elegantly across his office, clasping his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Why do you want to do this?"

"If you really need to know that, I assume that means you weren't listening." Chazz answered plainly, his intentions laid out for all to see. "I owe these two a debt. And if what you say is true, and that Yubel is coming back, then he may have to face her. And if there's anything I can do to repay them, it's fight. You know that better than either of them."

"W-Well, yes, but-"

"-Crowler, I get it. I understand you don't want me to go. If you could, I'm sure you'd never let me out of your sight again." Chazz interrupted, not wanting to waste time on emotional rants and sob stories. That really wasn't his style. "I know you'd like to think so, but I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself, and this is _my_ decision. I'm sorry it upsets you, I am. But… you're not my father, Crowler. I can make important decisions without you."

"I-I know, Chazz… but still I worry." Crowler said, his eyes softening as his mood slightly dropped. He was proud to see Chazz had grown so much, but still it was sad all the same. "And having such a scare as this... I only want to be sure you're safe."

"I know." Chazz replied, fully aware of how Crowler felt. "But like I said, it's my choice. And if they'll have my sword, I'm going to give it to them. You have to accept that."

"Yes, my boy…I only wish you didn't feel you must leave so soon.." Crowler sighed though he understood every word Chazz said to him, no matter how much he hated it as a concerned adult. But still, he knew the boy had more of a point than he wanted to admit about how he had been treating him all this time.

"Well, you have to prepare for the dimensional council. It's coming up very soon, so it's not like you'd be around much longer yourself anyway."

Crowler chuckled when he remembered that important errand. The dimensional council was in fact a big deal, and to be honest he didn't particularly enjoy it much. All it was was a bunch of people arguing with each other and extremely arbitrary and useless chatter about who was running their dimension the best which only ended in more arguing. If anything Crowler wished he didn't have to go, though he also assumed he wasn't alone in that line of thought. Remembering the council, suddenly it started to make sense why Alexis had decided to leave her royal life behind her. But with the mention of the council, Jaden remembered he had completely forgotten he had no idea what that was. Slowly raising his hand as if he were a child in the middle of his grade school class, he spoke up.

"Um… I'm sorry to ask but uh… what's the dimensional council…?"

"Oh right." Alexis realized, also forgetting she had mentioned it before and purposefully told him to ask later so _she_ wouldn't have to explain it. "I forgot, no one's told you about that."

"Oh?" Crowler questioned, turning and raising an eyebrow at the young brunette in question, confused that no one had explained such an important gathering to him. Especially considering he had spent a few days with dear Prince Syrus who had taught him most everything he knew. "Well, we'd best remedy that."

"Thank you, sir." Jaden nodded, thankful Crowler was so accommodating to his lack of knowledge, being as helpful as he could in explaining things to him in a way he could do his best to understand like Syrus had done his best to do as well.

"Indeed." Crowler smiled, taking a step away from Chazz and closer to Jaden. "The dimensional council is the biennial gathering of the twelve dimensional leaders, meant to foster good relations and peaceful negotiations involving topics such as inter-dimensional trade, as well as the process of strengthening alliances." He explained, chucking as Alexis and Chazz stepped in to break down some of the larger words he was using so Jaden could actually understand what he was saying. It was a sweet moment seeing Jaden's face light up as he realized he was able to comprehend what was being explained to him.

"It's also boring, and hasn't gone well in probably six years." Alexis interjected, remembering the last few times she had been dragged along to the damn thing before she had decided to run away. "All most of the leaders end up doing is arguing about nothing while Crowler and Sheppard get all the work done and Atticus spends the whole time trying to keep Zane from starting a full on war with the sixth dimension."

"Well, yes, that may be so but still. The council is an extremely important event. One that unfortunately I mustn't miss." Crowler countered, despite agreeing with everything she said he knew the importance of such talks. "And as Chazz said, it is rather soon. I would suggest you return home soon if you wish to see your brother before then, my dear."

"Trust me, I plan to." Alexis nodded back, glancing back to Jaden, subtly reminding him of her intention to leave though she doubted he had forgotten.

"I'm sorry you had to leave him again because of me…" Jaden apologized, feeling really really bad about making her feel obligated to supervise him while he traveled to see Crowler, though he did appreciate that she came so it would be easier for him to see the man even though she ended up being roped into a rescue mission for someone she didn't even like. Still he wanted her to be able to leave if she wanted, and she was very clear that she did. "And Chazz." He added, turning to the raven haired warrior. "If you really want to offer your service to me, even if only to make us even for the rescue. Well, I'll accept that."

"Very well." Chazz nodded, his damaged pride slowly beginning to repair itself, not about to let a debt he owed go unpaid. He wasn't too happy he had to follow an idiot around, but it was the least he could do after being saved by him and Alexis, despite the fact she clearly had done the majority of the work. But still, his honor as a warrior was at stake if he didn't at least _offer_. So he figured it wouldn't hurt in the long run despite how much he hated it in the moment. "I'll go with you as long as I have to. As long as it takes for us to be even."

"Still, I appreciate it." Jaden nodded, glad that even when Alexis left he wouldn't be completely alone again. Of course he would have felt better about Chazz coming along if he knew him at all, or felt comfortable around him which he really didn't, not being treated very nicely by him before even after Jaden had assisted in rescuing him, but of course Alexis had enlightened him to the fact that that was just the way Chazz was. So he tried not to let that bother him too much. After all, he had way bigger problems to worry about than that.

"Oh! Chazz, my boy." Crowler exclaimed, remembering something quite important he had nearly forgotten. "I have something I'm sure you'd be liking back." pulling the card he had kept in his coat pocket Crowler offered the young man a gentle smile, presenting him with his most prized creature once again. "Those animals sent this to me as further proof they had you in their custody. I'd like nothing more than to return it to you, Chazz."

"Thank you, Crowler." Chazz nodded, taking back the card that they had taken from him. Taking a second to look upon the little yellow creature, Chazz felt an ease come over him, glad to have his prized card back. "I appreciate it."

"You're very welcome, my boy." Crowler smiled back, happy that it seemed that at least for the time being, all was well. "Well, if you're all decided… I suppose we had better make the appropriate preparations." The undertone in his voice was sad, despite the slight happiness he felt all the same, He didn't want to see Chazz go, but on top of that he worried about all of them. He could see the anger and the hurt in Alexis's eyes, the deep emotional pain she held within her becoming more prevalent the more he looked at her. He also worried for Jaden, fearing there would be great danger ahead of him if the feeling he had about the ancient legend was right. If Yubel really was going to return and the young brunette was connected to the Neo Spacians like the evidence suggested, Crowler feared the demon would keep him in her sights, involving him in her lust for vengeance and destruction. If that happened…

"Yes, we should." Alexis nodded, just wanting to go home to her brother. She felt bad being so pushy about it, but given the circumstances of how she left him she doubted anyone would fault her for wanting to be positive he was safe. She knew the pain inside of her was coming across to the others around her, the look on Crowler's face every time his eyes fell on her was enough to enlighten her to that fact. The last thing she wanted to do was have people trying to get into her personal business, so she tried to keep her walls up as much as she could, doing her best to keep her true emotions behind them, but she could feel them starting to slowly seep through. All she wanted was to go home and see her precious brother. To see him, and to apologize for all the pain she had put him through again and again until she finally let herself believe he didn't blame her, and that it wasn't her fault he was nearly killed. "I'd like to return home as soon as possible."

"Yes, I'm sure you would, my dear." Crowler nodded back, knowing full well how she felt. "Now. I suggest you children rest for now. Take the rest of the day for yourselves" He continued, reminding them that they had only just returned from a battle and rescue mission. "We'll discuss your departure tomorrow."

"So you're actually going to just let me leave?" Chazz questioned, raising an eyebrow at the esteemed chancellor, knowing the answer he would give. Still, Chazz just wanted to hear him say it.

"Yes I am." Crowler nodded, respecting Chazz's right to make his own decisions. "You're old enough to decide for yourself, as you said. Also, you weren't hurt. I have no immediate obligation to object."

"I just wanted to hear you admit it." Chazz chuckled quietly under his breath, offering the chancellor a small smirk before turning and walking out of the office, leaving the three to their own devices.

"Charming as ever." Alexis scoffed, completely unimpressed and unamused by the young warrior, rolling her eyes before turning to leave as well, honestly just tired of talking to people. Leaving Jaden in the office by his lonesome, she made her way back to her room in the guest quarters, grasping her hand around her communicator again, trying to convince herself to finally use it for another moment before abandoning it once again. The guilt weighing on her heart too much for her to bear. But on top of that something felt wrong to her, something in the air was just… not right…


	10. Gifts and Curses

_**-Chapter 10-** _

At about that same time, in the lush and rolling green hills of dimension four, a miracle was about to take place.

Tending to his duties as he always had, a young acolyte walked down the stone pathways decorating the temple grounds. Having spent nearly his entire life in service to the grand maester of the Rainbow Dragon's temple, the young man had nearly every single square inch of the grounds memorized. It certainly made his daily tasks much easier not having to think about where he was going or even wondering what the fastest routes to his destinations were. The majority of his tasks consisted of assisting with the upkeep of the temple's many shrines to the great celestial dragon on top of his mystic studies, but running items back and forth from priest to maester and maester to priest had also become a part of his daily routine. It was a simple and hardly eventful life, but even still the young acolyte cherished those days. Walking down the stone pathways something caught the young Brit's attention. The light breeze that had been blowing around him had escalated into a full array of gusts, his light yellow robes flying around in the wind, the gusts nearly knocking him off balance.

"My word!" He exclaimed, looking around to see if maybe he could discover what had made the wind pick up so suddenly and unnaturally. Turning his dark colored eyes to the sky they widened more than they ever had in his entire life. Gazing up at the sky he could see the glistening majesty of a sight he never thought his mortal eyes could ever see. The most powerful and celebrated of all the celestials. The all powerful Rainbow Dragon, flying through the clouds for a few moments the dragon began to make a slow descent into the temple grounds. To the flower gardens on the hillside. Hardly able to believe his eyes the young acolyte ran down the path to the gardens, needing to know why it was the god had shown himself. By the time he arrived the dragon had landed on the hillside, resting among the gardens, he beheld the dragon's splendor. He had never seen a more beautiful sight. The dragon's iridescent scales shimmered in the glistening sun, decorating all of their surroundings in a rainbow colored sheen. Resting on the soft grass the dragon lowered his head onto the hillside. The young acolyte watched in complete amazement, able to actually feel the vibrating bass of the dragon's low purr from the ground even as far away as he was. Poking his head out from behind a cherry blossom tree he couldn't help but stare. Watching for another moment the dragon's head began to glow brighter with a celestial light. Lifting his head up for a moment the dragon opened its mouth. Gasping, the young man caught a glimpse of what looked like a person inside, resting on the dragon's tongue.

 _"Oh my…"_ he thought, watching the majestic beast, watching as he opened his large mouth more, extending his tongue the dragon fully revealed the sleeping boy he had carefully guarded inside, gently laying the bluish green haired youth on the soft grass. Even from a distance the brit could tell the boy was very elegant in appearance. Taking a step closer he observed the unidentified teen. If the Brit didn't know any better he would have thought he was a girl judging by his manner of dress. The brit's eyes were exquisite, but still a few of the details were obviously lost to the slight distance, but from what he could see, the boy wore a closed, vibrant blue vest with black trim, a white half hexagonal sort of shape in the center. A pure white ruffly cravat type thing around his neck with a blue ribbon tied around to keep it in place. Baby blue tinted white ruffles decorated the bottom of his vest, wrapping around behind his body from both sides, extending down to just above his knees in three staggered layers from what he could tell the closer he crept towards the dragon. Delicate blue glove-lets decorated the boy's arms, black ribbons wrapped around to the base of his biceps. Observing further he noticed the boy was wearing black shorts, averting his eyes when he realized just how short they were, only about halfway down his upper thighs, held by a white belt. He wore black knee high boots with a wedged heel, raised probably about two inches give or take a slight bit, with a silver band wrapped around his right leg a short ways above his knee. Taking another step forward the acolyte marveled at the unconscious boy, wondering just what the reason was for the Rainbow Dragon having him in his mouth like that. Taking one final step the dragon finally acknowledged the brit's presence, lifting his mighty head and turning to the young man.

" _What is your name, child?"_

Stopping dead in his tracks the young Brit froze, driven to a slight state of shock as the dragon's mighty baritone boomed in his mind, the dragon speaking with him telepathically. Taking a deep breath the Brit worked up the courage to answer, overwhelmed by the idea that he was speaking with the celestial deity he had been working to serve his entire life.

"B-Bastion Misawa, your radiance!" He answered swiftly, trying to keep his composure along with his calm in such a divine presence. "I-I'm just a lowly acolyte, sworn to serve you, radiance."

" _So it would seem. And would seem also, that your presence here now is but a wash of good fortune."_ the divine dragon communicated, glancing down at the unconscious young teen in the grass beside him. " _His name is Jesse. I've given him life to serve a great purpose."_ He explained, a great affection for his creation present in his tone. _"A great power he possesses, but his body is yet frail. Young Bastion, I would entrust him to your care."_

"M-My care?" Bastion stuttered out, his right hand clutching his chest as he looked back and forth swiftly between Jesse and the divine beast. "I-I am hardly worthy of such a task!"

 _"You under-reach yourself, young man."_ The dragon said, his deep purr vibrating the ground beneath Bastion's feel still. Turning his head to the boy the dragon moved closer, stopping with his snout only inches from Bastion's body. _"You, young wizard, hold a worth beyond your knowledge. And a strength afforded the most worthy of warriors. And your knowledge of the mystic arts shall be most valuable to him."_

Hardly able to believe what he was hearing and seeing Bastion couldn't bring himself to speak. His eyes were wider than they had ever been in his entire life, holding his hand over his mouth in surprise he could feel the warmth of his breath even through the finger-less gloves he wore over his hands. He never thought he could ever see the dragon's celestial glory in real life, much less be complimented and assigned a task by him. Slightly overwhelmed he glanced over to the blue boy laying in the grass, he noticed that Jesse had begun to stir, slowly opening his eyes for the very first time.

"H-He's awake!" Bastion gasped, hurrying over to Jesse's side, compelled by his new role as his appointed caretaker to check on him. Kneeling down beside Jesse, Bastion watched with bated breath, fascinated as he observed the newly fabricated life-form. Opening his emerald green eyes for a quick moment they screwed shut again, stretching his body out Jesse yawned, preparing to spend his first conscious moments of existence. Keeping his eyes closed for another moment Jesse supported himself on his elbows, slowly and gracefully ascending to a sitting position his right leg crossing under his left he leaned forward slightly on his palms, allowing his eyes to open again.

"Good mornin'…" Jesse yawned again, gently rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Bastion was surprised to hear the strange accent Jesse seemed to have. It was nothing like Bastion's own, something about it sounded more unrefined in contrast to the blue boy's elegant appearance. Still, he pulled himself together rather quickly.

"Are…are you alright…?" Bastion inquired, not really sure what else to ask someone who didn't even exist hardly less than ten minutes ago, but he figured just basic questions would do for now. "How do you feel…?"

"Still a little tired, but I'm fine." Jesse answered, blinking a few times as he lifted his head up, trying to adjust his eyes with the light growing more intense with the sun reflecting off of Rainbow Dragon's iridescent scales.

" _Welcome, dear Jesse."_ Rainbow Dragon soothed, happy that his precious creation was able to function properly. The iridescent dragon had created many creatures before, but never a human being. Looking into the boy's emerald eyes the dragon felt a great affection for the child. " _I'm certain you know why you have been given life?"_

"Yeah." Jesse nodded back, slowly ascending from the ground, Bastion swiftly grabbing hold of his slim form, helping him to his feet as he stood for the first time, wobbling slightly before familiarizing himself with the concept of legs. "To aid the divine warrior."

 _"Indeed."_ The dragon confirmed, already so proud of his own precious creation. _"And I fear he will need you sooner than I thought. I sense a great darkness looming."_

"A great darkness…?" Bastion asked, his tone quieting as he mulled over the potential severity of such an occurrence.

 _"Indeed."_ Rainbow Dragon answered back, quickly sensing his time in the mortal world was coming to a close. _"I'm afraid I must return to my realm. But young Jesse, to you, I gift my most perfect creations."_ He explained, a series of pastel lights surrounding Jesse, each a different color of the rainbow. _"The sacred Crystal Beasts. Along with young Bastion, they will protect you. As well, they will obey your commands. Now, my children, you must journey forth. The divine hero is in need of your help."_

"Yes, your radiance." Jesse nodded, the spirits of the holy beasts appearing for only a moment before the pastel lights converged, taking only one more moment to linger before flying into Jesse's body, enveloping him in their iridescent pastel light.

" _But first, dear Jesse. I've one more gift. From the almighty Neos, for you to pass on to our young hero."_ The dragon took on a soft white glow, from a little sphere of white light a little winged creature appeared before the teens, though only Jesse could see the spirit in his true form. All Bastion could see was a light bouncing around in front of Jesse, quite confused to be sure.

" _Kuri Kuri!"_

"Hey there, little fella." Jesse chuckled, amused by the adorable little fuzzball.

" _His name is Winged Kuriboh."_ Rainbow Dragon explained, his pride in Jesse still running deep. " _He is a guardian spirit, meant to shield the hero's spirit from darkness. However, his powers remain sealed, cutting him off from divine Neos. It is imperative that you pass this spirit on to him, as Neos is unable."_

"Got it." Jesse nodded, fully understanding of what he was to do, though he did feel bad after catching a glimpse of Bastion's confused expression as he tried to sort out just what was going on, and what he had been roped into.

" _Good."_ Taking one last moment to regard the two children before him. Rainbow Dragon felt a wave of ease wash over him despite the feeling of impending darkness looming over him. His celestial form beginning to fade back into his own realm he smiled in his heart. _"Now go, my children. Your destinies await you all."_

* * *

"So… this is it…?" Jaden asked, still hardly able to believe Alexis was actually leaving. Standing outside of the city again he and Chazz kept their eyes on her as she prepared herself to open the portal that would take her back to her own dimension, and subsequently take her back to her brother. They had already said their goodbyes to Crowler before they came out to the portal point that morning. Jaden and Chazz would journey on to find Jaden's identity, and Alexis would return home to care for her brother. They had all made their peace with that, but still Jaden was a little bit unsure.

"I told you before this started that I was going home as soon as we were done here." Alexis answered, her eyes stern as ever as she turned to the brunette, not surprised it seemed he had forgotten that but still she was unamused, her eyes shifting over to Chazz. "Chazz will take over for me from now on. I'll consider us even that way, got it? Whine about your debt to me again and I'll punch you even harder than the last time."

"Alright." Chazz nodded, prepared to fulfill his debt to them despite his inherent dislike of Jaden thus far.

"You'll be fine without me, kiddo." She said, placing a hand on her hip, offering Jaden a much kinder look having noticed the apprehension present on his innocent face. "Besides, I'm sure our paths will end up crossing again eventually. Seems to be how this shit works, anyway."

"I guess that's true…" Jaden thought aloud, remembering how intertwined his and Alexis's paths seemed to be until that point. Sure he'd feel odd without her around, but he placed his hope on seeing her again once all was finally well.

"Keep that brother of yours safe, Alexis." Chazz instructed, though he doubted she had any other plan in mind. "The dimensions already have enough problems without the leaders getting in trouble."

"Believe me, I plan to." Alexis nodded back to him, turning her back to them. "Take care."

Raising her hands to open the portal the wind escalated almost instantly from the soft early afternoon breeze to a full on series of strong gusts, strong enough to blow Alexis off of her balance. Swiftly raising her arm to shield her eyes she turned back to Jaden and Chazz, trying to discover just what the fresh hell was going on.

"W-What the hell is this!?" She shouted, not expecting either of the two to have an answer, they too were struggling to stand still with the wind assailing them so. Taking a few steps forward she managed to reach Jaden, placing her free hand on his shoulder, holding him in place as best she could, not wanting him to be blown away from the sheer force of the gales. Chazz seemed to be able to hold his ground just fine so she wasn't worried about him, but Jaden had been struggling to stand, the wind's force seemingly directing itself specifically at him even nearly knocking him off of his feet. Holding their ground another moment the wind began to slowly die down but Jaden's eyes screwed shut, a pained grunt escaping from his lips, he curled into himself a little, wrapping his right arm around his stomach, his left hand reaching up and clutching at his wind-tousled hair. Giving Jaden a concerned look Alexis worried for a moment, turning to Chazz for the slightest second to get his attention to shift to the brunette as well, putting both of her hands on Jaden's shoulders.

"Jaden…?"

"Uh, is he okay…?" Chazz questioned, raising an eyebrow at the ailing brunette, taking a step closer, stopping as Alexis shook her head, wanting to give the boy some space aside from herself being directly beside him.

"What's wrong, Jaden..?" Turning her eyes back to Jaden she heard his pained grunts, his body trembling as he struggled to stand. Alexis's grip mostly the only thing keeping him on his feet. Worried for his well-being, Alexis didn't know what to do, not knowing what the problem was didn't help that, but if there was a way she could help she wanted to be sure she was able to do that for him.

"S-Something's… not right…" Jaden choked out, feeling a deep pain in his stomach as if he had been run through by a blade or something, his head pounding as well as he felt an overwhelming dark presence appear. Cracking his right eye open as much as he could manage he looked forward, a dark mass materializing before them. The entity was horrifying to say the least. The feminine curves and features suggested she was female at least partially, though it was hard to say, really. As well she had large demonic looking wings extending from her back. Her heterochromic eyes pierced through the teenagers with an intensity none of them had ever seen or experienced before, the orange and green orbs nearly enough to take their attention away from her sickly-pink skin, and the vertical eye on her forehead. All around her a darkness swelled, deep hatred and malice emanating from her demonic form. There was no doubt in their minds now that Crowler had been right. This had to have been Yubel.

"Well now, what do we have here?" She observed, chuckling to herself as she looked upon the children, and saw Jaden's pitiful state. "Look at you. You're even more pitiful than I remember you being."

"Do you know her…?" Chazz asked, turning from Yubel to Jaden, his eyebrow raised in total confusion as in his mind there was no way that could have even been possible since she was a demonic entity from an ancient legend. Though to be fair, he knew next to nothing about Jaden, which in all honesty none of them did. Least of all Jaden himself.

"D-Don't know…" Jaden managed to say, taking deep and slow breaths in an attempt to lessen his pain even slightly, but so far to no avail. Leaning into Alexis a little more he tried to conserve his strength, but somehow it felt like it was being siphoned away faster than he could even attempt to build it back up.

"Oh don't you?" Yubel hissed quietly, floating a distance equal to about three steps closer, prompting Chazz to reach for his sword before she could get too close. "The pathetic child sent to destroy me?" stopping for a moment she seemed to realize something, a sly grin coming across her face while her tone became one of more mocking than anything else. "But of course, you _wouldn't_ remember, would you? You can't remember a single thing about yourself, can you?" she laughed to herself one more time before continuing to speak. "I suppose that only makes sense. After all, the last time we met… I _killed_ you."

Jaden screwed his eyes shut one more time as she cackled in the distance, the pain in his head growing exponentially for a moment, pulsing enough to cause him to cry out in agony, collapsing to the ground he raised both of his hands to his head, his fingers digging into his hair as he crumpled to his knees, his head lowering until his hair could just barely graze the ground beneath him. Swiftly dropping to her knees as well, Alexis gently placed her hands back on his shoulders, knowing there really wasn't anything she could do at that point. Whatever was ailing Jaden, it was one hundred percent Yubel's doing. But still she worried for his well being.

"Jaden!?" Alexis cried, terribly concerned for his safety as she listened to his agonized cries of pain, she froze. In that moment a scene of her brother flashed before her eyes. He was bound by the wrists, his arms suspended above his head as he was rested on his knees. His clothes were disheveled and his beautiful silky hair in disarray, a thick gag tied in his mouth she could see blood dripping down his forehead and from various cuts all over his body. She could feel tears form in her eyes when she noticed the tears in his. The vision lingering, she saw the Tantalus leader appear out of thin air, laughing at her precious brother's misery for a moment his expression grew cold and angry. Curling his hand into a fist he proceeded to beat Atticus, relentlessly throwing blow after blow to extract as many agonizing muffled screams from the ethereal prince as he could, laughing all the while. Alexis opened her mouth to scream. To beg him to stop, but not a single sound came from her lips, and her body wouldn't move from where she was standing. All she could do was watch.

* * *

" _Atticus!"_ She thought, feeling nothing but pure agony watching her older brother's torture, still not a single sound able to escape her lips to beg it to come to an end.

" _It's your fault, you know."_ Yubel's voice rang in Alexis's mind, taunting her with every echo and vibration. A small chuckle trailing from her words, she took pleasure in the girl's inner turmoil. " _I gave them the power they needed to storm the castle. To take him from you."_

" _No…!"_

" _And yet, all of this pain. This suffering."_ Chuckling darkly, Yubel's shadow descended upon the blonde, evil, invisible hands clasping around Alexis's shoulders, the demon's voice lowering almost as if she were whispering in the princess's ear. " _If only you hadn't gone away… if only you had stayed. Maybe then, precious, fragile Atticus could have been spared…"_

As Yubel's evil cackle filled Alexis's head the visions only dragged on, tears falling from her eyes, Alexis couldn't take seeing any more. Forced to see her brother's body bound and beaten, bloodied and bruised. Forced to watch the sparkle of life fade from his eyes… it was too much for her heart to take. Overcome with guilt and despair she let out a mighty wail, the only sound that would allow itself to escape her lips. Tears overflowing from her eyes, Alexis wailed and screamed, begging for the visions to end, unable to stand seeing any more of her brother's pain.

" _You did this to him."_

* * *

"Alexis?" Chazz gasped, noticing her body had frozen where she knelt beside Jaden. Rushing over to them he could see her eyes had dulled, losing any sign of life, and on top of that, her face showed great distress as well, a single tear falling from her eye. With both she and Jaden incapacitated Chazz growled, turning swiftly in Yubel's direction, immediately drawing his sword and turning the blade on Yubel, gripping the hilt tightly in his right hand as he snarled.

"What have you done to them!?" Chazz demanded, his blade trained on the demon before him, taking slow side steps to cross in front of Jaden and Alexis in an attempt to shield them from Yubel's evil. After all, he had a debt to settle. It wouldn't do to leave them to suffer. "And what do you mean you _killed_ him!? Just what the hell are you!?" Of course he knew the general answer, Crowler had told them as much. But he got the feeling that while she was exiled in the void, she must have gained a considerable amount of dark powers to inflict so much torment without lifting a single claw-like finger.

"Her emotions are so easy to toy with." Yubel scoffed, completely disregarding Chazz's second question. Raising her arm she gathered her energy into a pure black orb, making it larger and larger it took on a reddish purple glow. Chazz's eyes widened as it grew, realizing she was charging an attack. If she had anything to say about what was going on, which she most certainly had to, she would kill him if she could. "But you are no use to me."

" _Shit!"_ Chazz thought, realizing he wouldn't be able to protect himself from her if she really was a former celestial like the legend claimed, and on top of that if she attacked, Alexis and Jaden were completely indisposed and could do nothing to even move out of the way. Every single part of the situation looked grim to Chazz, not able to find a way to make it out with all of them unscathed, unable to think of anything in his deck that would be enough to protect them all at the moment either. As soon as Yubel raised her arm again, Chazz stood his ground, bracing himself for the no doubt devastating blow, keeping his body positioned in front of Jaden and Alexis so that he would take the brunt of the attack. The tension in the air growing as the seconds seemed to stretch on endlessly, Chazz felt a breeze behind him, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. But before he could even turn his head, a thick lightning bolt struck the ground between him and Yubel from above. Fumbling back for only a second Chazz gasped quietly, his eyes widening when he realized where the bolt had come from. Turning slightly to his left he saw a portal had opened in the air above him and the others, watching as two teenagers about their age jumped out, the black haired one holding an ornate wizard's staff in his right hand it was clear where the lightning had come from. Descending from the portal the two teens straightened to their full height, the dainty blue one stood beside his companion, a series of pastel lights appearing around him as he spoke.

"That's enough, you monster!" He shouted, his strange unrefined accent landing on Chazz's ears, seeing such a dainty and elegant looking person with such a bumpkin sounding voice confusing him. Yubel's attack dissipated, growling at the two teens having interrupted her attempted murder. Glaring at the children she felt the blue boy's overwhelming energy exude from him, the celestial blessing from the great Rainbow Dragon trying to overtake her newly formed dark domain around the space.

" _That damn dragon!"_ Yubel thought, extremely angry knowing Rainbow Dragon had gotten himself involved. Her powers were strong, enough to completely annihilate one celestial creation, but two, and one blessed as the dragon's would certainly be a problem at that point. Growling she glared further, the only remote positivity she felt coming from Jaden's pained moans from behind the others. Still, she was smart enough to know her plan had not escalated far enough to destroy them all. With as much power as she had, she still needed more.

"Begone, demon!" The other intruder demanded, his own accent much more elegant than the blue boy's, making a further distinction between the two. Raising his staff to her, he prepared to cast another spell if it was warranted. Giving one last snarl, Yubel formulated the next stage of her vengeance.

"Soon, children." She snarled, the wind instantly picking up to powerful gusts again. "I will have my revenge!" The wind dying as quickly as it came to life Yubel wrapped her wings around her body, instantly fading back to where she had come. As soon as she was gone, Chazz turned to Jaden and Alexis, just in time to watch as Alexis's eyes shut, her body crumpling to the ground in a state of unconsciousness, the visions ended with Yubel's influence gone.

"Hey!" Chazz shouted, rushing over to her he gathered her limp form up in his arms, gently shaking her in an attempt to wake her but to no avail. Frustrated, he turned to Jaden, who seemed to be doing better. His cries had quieted, and what little of his face Chazz could see through his messy brown hair looked a little more peaceful than before though he was panting heavily now. Glancing back to the two new teens they also turned to face them, the blue one's emerald eyes darting down to Jaden, the long cascading silk connected to the bottom of his short blue vest flying almost like a cape as he rushed to Jaden's side, placing a hand on his arm the boy took on an extremely worried facial expression. "Who _are_ you people…?"

"Bastion Misawa." The wizard spoke, bowing to the warrior as he introduced himself, his accent matching perfectly with his overly polite mannerisms. "I apologize, there wasn't time to say so earlier."

"And him?" Chazz asked, cocking his head in the other boy's direction, keeping Alexis held gently in his arms, worried about her and even Jaden after seeing what Yubel's presence alone had managed to do to him.

"Jesse." The boy answered, his eyes never leaving Jaden, who in turn, upon hearing the new voices slowly raised his head. Opening his eyes finally when he looked up, he laid his dulled brown orbs on the most beautiful person he had ever seen. To him, he was somehow even more beautiful than Atticus, whose beauty could only be described as otherworldly. Jesse's pale and flawless skin almost sparkled in what little daylight remained in Yubel's wake. Blinking a few times he wondered if this boy could possibly be real, or if he was just a figment of his imagination brought on by the intense pain he had been feeling. But the gentle weight of his warm hands on Jaden's shoulders told him otherwise. Staring for another few seconds into Jesse's flawless emerald eyes Jesse raised his eyebrow, a look of concern coming across his pale face.

"Are you alright, Jaden…?" He asked, concerned by the state Jaden had been in when he and Bastion arrived, worried he was legitimately injured.

"F-Fine now." Jaden stuttered, nodding swiftly. He hoped Jesse didn't think him strange for staring, but the worry in his voice suggested that may not be the case, but Jaden really couldn't tell. After all, he wasn't too great at reading people most of the time. "I stopped feeling pain when she left."

"Oh..?" Raising his eyebrow further Jesse tired to comprehend what had clearly been happening before he arrived. It didn't make sense to him how Jaden could be physically harmed just by having Yubel in his vicinity, but thinking about it a little longer, the pieces started to somewhat fall into place for him. But that was a conversation for another time.

"It's not safe here." Bastion declared, looking down at Alexis cradled gently in Chazz's arms as well as Jaden still making his own recovery. "I believe it best for us to return to the temple for the time being."

"Good idea." Jesse nodded, throwing Jaden's arm around his shoulder, putting his own arm around the brunette to support him as he helped him up to his feet, sensing his strength was low, but was slowly returning to him in this moment of reprieve.

"But…" Jaden began, turning his eyes to Alexis as well, upset that she had been manipulated by Yubel. He didn't know what she had been put through but even in his state of agonizing pain he could tell that she wasn't having much more fun than he was.

"We should take her home." Chazz spoke up, voicing what he and Jaden were both thinking. They had come out there for her to go home to her brother in the first place, neither of them wanted to see how angry she would be when she woke up and was going to be stuck with them any longer. But considering what had just happened, Chazz knew better than to expect anything else, but still she wasn't able to object for herself so somebody had to.

"At this point, it's better she come with us." Bastion explained, flexing what little he knew about the true situation to convince them to bring her along. "As far as Yubel knows, she's Jaden's confidant. That could put her and everyone around her in danger. That applies to you as well." he explained, his eyes moving slightly from Alexis to Chazz, his gaze stern as he conveyed the seriousness of the situation they were in. "It would be safer for everyone, for all three of you to stick together."

Sighing heavily, Chazz could tell they were right. He also knew that no matter what happened now as soon as Alexis came to she would blame him for keeping her away from home. He hated that she was so hostile towards him, but at the same time he had matured enough over the years to realize why. Gathering her fully into his arms, Chazz picked her up as he stood fully as well, one arm under her legs as the other supported her back, her head resting on his shoulder he knew she would kill him in his sleep if she found out about this, so he made a pact with himself not to tell in lieu of keeping his life longer.

"Fine. But we're gonna tell her it's _your_ fault she can't see her brother now."

"If you must." Bastion nodded, stepping forward to the portal point he raised his staff, the swirling blue portal opening before their eyes. Without even a second of pause Jesse took Jaden and walked through the portal, not letting a single second go to waste. Taking a second of his own Bastion turned back to Chazz, motioning with his arm for the warrior to follow. "Come."

Sighing again quietly, Chazz glanced down at Alexis, worried what she would do when she awoke. But for now, she was peaceful. It was the first time he had ever seen her like that in all the time he'd known her. It was almost strange in a way, but he didn't linger on it too much. Looking back up to Bastion he nodded, taking a few steps forward, Bastion following as he entered the portal, not realizing what he had gotten himself into and what would be waiting for them on the other side.


	11. Revelation

_**-Chapter 11-** _

"Where are we…?" Jaden asked, feeling himself get his second wind, raising his head to look at the lush green surroundings, the perfect blue sky overhead, white clouds glittering in the sunlight somehow. And in the distance, not but a five minute walk was a glorious white temple surrounded by sprawling grounds overflowing with trees and multicolored flowers. It was absolutely beautiful.

"The fourth dimension." Jesse explained, turning his head to the brunette, adjusting his hold on Jaden to give him a little more slack, feeling him put more weight on his legs and leaning on Jesse a little less to keep himself standing. "Home to the temple of the Rainbow Dragon." Smiling as they walked forwards, making their way to the temple Jesse decided to drop a small hint, deciding to wait until they reached the temple proper to tell them the whole story. "It's also where I was born."

"Indeed." Bastion confirmed, sensing Jesse's intention with that tidbit. "I was also born here. The temple has been my home since I was a young boy. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"Whatever." Chazz muttered, not entirely interested in Bastion's existence at the moment, also just not a fan of his posh and slightly holier than thou demeanor. Though considering he was raised in a temple, Chazz wasn't too terribly surprised by that either. Adjusting his hold on Alexis slightly he hoped she would wake up soon. He could feel her stir in his arms a little, but he could see in her face somehow that she was still a ways from waking up.

"Feelin' any better Jaden…?" Jesse asked, keeping his gentle eyes on the brunette he was supporting, worried that he was in worse shape than Rainbow Dragon made it out to be. Of course, he was aware of Jaden's little memory problem, but it seemed no one knew that Yubel's presence would affect him so much. Not even Jaden.

"I'm fine." Jaden nodded, shifting more of his weight away from Jesse, doing his best to stop relying on him to stand properly. "Just a little sore. The pain's almost completely gone now."

"Well that's a relief…" Jesse sighed, more relief washing over him as they approached the temple's entrance. Feeling Jaden's weight almost completely release, Jesse released his hold on Jaden, though he kept his arm behind Jaden's back just in case he still needed a little bit of assistance. After all, that was the reason he was given life.

"Come now." Bastion instructed, leading the others inside the grand ivory temple, keeping his voice down as not to disturb any of the other acolytes or maesters about the place. "The grand maester is in the innermost sanctum." he explained, gesturing to the ceiling high double doors towards the back of the entry hall. "He will know why we've brought you here." taking the others up to the absurdly large and ornate doors he raised his right hand, closing his eyes for a moment his body took on a slight yellow glow, whispering quietly for a moment the doors trembled, shaking the ground beneath their feet as they slowly parted, opening the way for them to move forward.

"W-What was that!?" Jaden gasped, completely in awe of what he had just witnessed, still completely taken aback by the concept of magic despite all he had seen in the past week or so, give or take.

"The inner sanctum is only able to be accessed by the grand maester, and the highest ranking priests." Bastion explained quietly, turning back to the others for a moment, knowing full well they would have no knowledge of how things worked in the temple. "One must beckon the doors to move aside to gain entry."

"So how could you get in?" Chazz interrogated, holding Alexis closer to himself, instinctively making an attempt to protect her while he sensed something weird was going on. He didn't much believe in these religious types, something about them always seemed a little off to him. "From what I recall, you said you're just an acolyte. Which means you shouldn't be able to get in. Right?"

"Well yes, normally that would be true." Bastion nodded, hoping to assuage Chazz's skepticism even a little, but he wasn't really sure if he should explain fully just yet. He wasn't the important one in all of this after all. "But recently… I've recently become an exception to that precept."

"Not helping yourself, dude." Chazz muttered under his breath, checking on Alexis one more time before the group followed Bastion into the inner sanctum. The sanctuary was pure ivory, stunning as the sun was bright. All along the outer edges of the hall were statues depicting the grand maester's of ages past, as well as what appeared to be an assortment of mythical creatures. At the head of the sanctuary stood what appeared to be an altar of sorts, which stood beneath a statue of the divine Rainbow Dragon which towered above them, the statue's shadow casting itself over the majority of the sanctuary. Standing by the alter was an older looking man, his maroon robes cascading behind him. Taking a few steps forward to the center of the inner sanctum Bastion held his arm out, signaling the others to stop as well. Standing for a moment in silence no one dared to speak. The doors slowly closing behind them, all they could do was wait for the silence to end.

"Welcome, children. I knew you would be along soon."

As the grand maester's gentle baritone hit their ears Jaden and Chazz were a little taken aback, a little surprised the maester seemed to know about them. But then again, Chazz at least realized as well that someone so deeply connected to the astral plane would no doubt have some kind of foresight, so he wasn't quite so confused as Jaden was. But that really was par for the course it seemed. Turning to face the children, the grand maester offered a gentle smile.

"Grand Maester Sheppard. I am sorry to disturb you, but as you know, we've become involved in a most urgent matter." Bastion apologized, bowing his head in respect to the dimension's leader.

"Oh, it's not a problem, young Bastion." Sheppard answered back, shaking his head at the young acolyte. "I know exactly why you've come." Turning his eyes to Jaden and Jesse, his smile softened for only a moment before his expression took a more serious and stern turn, his eyes fixating on Jesse. "And from _where_ you've come, Jesse."

"What does that mean…?" Jaden questioned, cocking his head in confusion, trying to help himself understand the nuances of what was going on around him. Almost nothing made sense to him anyway, that much was true, but everyone was talking so cryptically since Yubel appeared he really couldn't make too much sense of anything that was happening.

"Well y'see, Jaden…how do I explain…" Jesse began, his sentence trailing off while he tried to think of a way to break the news to him easily so that he could understand the information.

"Jesse is no ordinary human being, my boy." Sheppard interjected, walking over to the group of teenagers he placed a hand gently on Jesse's delicate shoulder. "In fact, he was only just born this morning."

"W-What!?"

Both Chazz and Jaden's eyes widened when they heard what Sheppard had said. It just couldn't be possible! Jesse was a grown teenager just like the rest of them, it just didn't make sense to them that he could have possibly been just born that day. There was just no way…

"No offense sir, but that's bullshit!" Chazz shouted in disbelief, not wanting to disrespect the grand maester, he knew better than that. But he already had enough skepticism and disbelief about the entire fourth dimension in him without having the actual _leader_ of the whole place telling him that a grown ass teenager didn't even exist but yesterday. "It's just not possible!"

"Oh, but it is." Sheppard countered, turning to the skeptical young warrior, making note of the unconscious princess in his arms. "As I said, young Jesse is no ordinary human. He was born from the mouth of the divine Rainbow Dragon himself." he continued to explain, Chazz and Jaden's expressions shifting exponentially from confusion and in Chazz's case outright disbelief, to complete shock, and Jaden was hardly able to tear his eyes away from Jesse for more reasons than just his exceptional beauty at that point. "Bastion witnessed the event first hand."

"That's correct." He confirmed, nodding at Sheppard's statement. "And because of that, I was tasked by Rainbow Dragon to be Jesse's guardian. Which to curb your distrust in me Chazz, is why I am able to access the inner sanctum of this temple, despite my standing as a mere acolyte."

Chazz couldn't hardly even begin to think at that point. He had heard so many crazy things from Crowler about the celestials and the old legends over the years, but he never put too much stock in them, mostly just listening to humor the dear chancellor. But the thought of them actually creating a full grown, fully functioning human being out of nothing, something about that idea just made his brain grind to a halt. It was just simply impossible, wasn't it…? Hardly registering Alexis's weight in his arms anymore Chazz failed to notice that she had begun to stir again, her eyes screwing shut for a quick moment before she relaxed, allowing her hazel eyes to slowly crack open, a quiet groan escaping her lips, finally catching Chazz's attention, his own black eyes darting down to her.

"You alright, Alexis…?" He asked, glad to see that she was awake before realizing just how dead he was going to be for placing a single finger on her when she herself realized what was going on. Waiting for her to answer her eyelids remained heavily drooping over her eyes for a moment longer, turning what little of her gaze she could into an actual focused glance, she could see that they were no longer in the seventh dimension. The ivory structure and various large statues were a clear sign of that, but as well, she could see that her body was in more or less a horizontal position, as if she were lying down. Shaking her head for a moment she felt her mind clear, her vision too focusing more than it had been before. Feeling the warmth of a person's hands on her body she froze for a moment. Glancing to her left she only needed a nanosecond to recognize the black vest and lavender shirt she was pressed against, the slight bit of Chazz's exposed chest as well more or less right in her face with her head rested against his shoulder. Quickly letting a scowl crawl across her face Alexis balled her right hand into a tight fist, and before anyone could stop her, she raised her arm and rammed her fist once again square into Chazz's jaw, causing him to cry out in pain for just a moment.

"What the hell!?" He shouted, not expecting anything less, but also he was already getting tired of her deciding it was appropriate to clock him straight in the jaw no hesitation.

"Chazz Princeton you little toad, put me down!" Alexis shouted back, her newly risen anger removing any semblance of tiredness that tried to linger within her body. Banging her fist against Chazz's chest quickly she pushed herself out of his hold, removing herself from his arms before he even had a chance to release her like she had angrily commanded him to do.

"Oh, so this is the thanks I get for lugging your unconscious ass around!?" Chazz fumed, frustrated by her incessant grudge against him by that point. Narrowing his eyes at her part of him wished he hadn't listened to Bastion and had taken her home so they wouldn't have to see each other anymore.

"Oh _believe_ me, the _last_ thing you're gonna get is my thanks!" She interjected, her own narrowed eyes just as angry if not more than his were, placing her hands on her hips she leaned forwards a little, forcing him to lean back in contrast to keep their faces from smacking into each other despite the fact she still thought he deserved another good whack.

"Alright you two, that's quite enough of that!" Bastion scolded, completely appalled by such rude behavior in such a sacred place and in the presence of the grand maester himself, though Jesse chuckled quietly to himself beside him.

"But i-if that's true about Jesse…" Jaden wondered aloud, his thoughts still focused on what Sheppard and Bastion had been explaining to them, not even paying attention to Chazz and Alexis's commotion beside him. "How did he know where to find us…? How did he know… me…?"

"What was that, Jaden?" Jesse asked, turning fully to face the brunette, his eyebrow raised in confusion. Only a portion of Jaden's own questions actually fell on his ears.

"How do you know me?" Jaden asked again, his eyes staring deep into Jesse's own, starting to become a little suspicious. He hated to think there was something underhanded going on if such a beautiful creature like Jesse was involved, but he just couldn't shake the uneasy feeling growing in his chest. "None of us told you what my name was, and yet you know it. I hadn't questioned it before, it didn't really cross my mind. But if you're some celestial creation like the grand maester says… why the hell do you know anything about me…?"

Jesse's eyes widened slightly, taken aback by Jaden's interrogation mode. It was true he knew more than any normal person should, but it was also true that he _wasn't_ a normal person. He knew far more than what Jaden or his companions thought, he knew just about everything there was to know about the brunette. He had wanted to wait just a little bit longer to tell him, to get the chance to break it to him slowly, but it seemed like Jaden wasn't going to give him a choice. Keeping his eyes locked on Jaden he felt the tremble of the sanctuary doors opening, though the two weren't even phased, their eyes never leaving each others. Staring into Jaden's eyes Jesse saw a little spark, somehow, a warm feeling rose in his chest.

"Tell me, who am I!?"

"Jaden…?"

Jaden's eyes widening as far as they could he whipped his body around with more haste than he thought he was capable, the familiar high pitched voice catching him completely off guard. The others turning as well the group laid their eyes on their exalted young visitor, the small boy's image completely unmistakable.

"Syrus?" Jaden exclaimed, his voice cracking from the force and rising height of his tone, causing Jesse's own expression to soften, his eyes glancing back in Jaden's direction for the briefest of moments. Of course he was happy to see the little prince after having to leave the way he did and not having any contact with his first friend since his more or less forced departure, but he was made more than aware that Syrus wasn't allowed to leave the castle grounds unless it was necessary, and even then he was required to have an escort. And with not a single ninth dimension soldier in sight it was clear that he was there alone, which was a bad sign. As Syrus took a few steps forward the maester who had opened the door for the young prince quickly followed, turning to face Sheppard as he spoke.

"I-I am terribly sorry for the intrusion, your grace!" The man exclaimed, bowing in the presence of his superior. "I asked his highness to wait outside, but he insisted!"

"Now now, it's quite alright." Sheppard pardoned, shaking his head at the stuttering maester, his gaze lowering to the little prince as he approached the group. "I've been expecting you, little one. In fact, It was only hours ago that I foresaw your arrival."

"Of course, your grace." Syrus answered, offering Sheppard a respectful bow, an air of guilt about him that most anyone could feel. He had broken several rules to come here after all.

"What are you doing here, Syrus?" Alexis began to scold, placing her hand back on her hip she pointed with her free hand, narrowing her eyes slightly at her fellow royal, knowing him better than anyone else in the room did having met him several times in the past since their dimensions were the strongest allies. "You _know_ you're not supposed to leave the castle!"

"Well I… I was worried about Jaden, so I thought I would come and speak to Grand Maester Sheppard about him." Syrus explained, doing his best not to incur the wrath of the warrior princess. Though she would be quick to dismiss the assertion, she had always had strong motherly tendencies so she was liable to be pretty angry with him, a scenario he wanted to avoid though he was fully aware that was pretty much out of the question. "But I guess I don't really have to, do I?"

"Syrus…" Jaden spoke up, taking a step closer to his dear friend, reaching his arm out and placing it on the boy's tiny shoulder. "Do Aster and your brother know that you wanted to check on me? Or that you actually left…?" He had a pretty good idea of what Syrus was going to say, the fact that he was there alone with no escort was proof enough, but still he needed to be absolutely certain. Still worried he was correct about the answer Jaden sighed quietly to himself when he saw the guilt in Syrus's large gray eyes, the boy averting his gaze from Jaden's own.

"Well… no…"

"Well goddammit, Syrus!" Jaden sighed heavily in slight exasperation, worried how the two would react when they realized the little prince was missing. And _especially_ worried how they would react when they found out that Syrus had left to try and find _him_. They already held a deep dislike for Jaden, Aster had been more than clear about that before he had left, but now he was worried that they would literally kill him. "This is exactly why they don't like me!"

"I-I'm sorry, Jaden…" Syrus apologized, the guilt he felt from having left and used his powers without permission only growing deeper now that Jaden was frustrated with him, and Alexis was clearly irritated as well. "But I was worried about you so I thought I could…"

"I know…" Jaden sighed again. He felt bad making Syrus feel dejected like that. His intentions weren't bad, he just wanted to see if his friend was okay. It honestly hurt to see the sadness and guilt in the little boy's eyes. There was enough negativity around that space already, adding any more just felt so wrong to Jaden. Especially if it came from the dear little prince who would already be in enough trouble when Zane and Aster found out where he had gone. Pulling the bluenette into a gentle hug Jaden allowed himself to calm down for the first time in a while. "It's good to see you, Sy…"

"I hate to interrupt your reunion, Jaden." Bastion spoke up, taking a small yet elegant step forward towards the two friends, a serious look coming across his face. "But his highness mustn't stay here for long. We should return him home immediately."

"Come on, Bastion! He came all this way." Jaden argued, keeping his arm around the young prince he did his best to advocate for him to stay a little longer, even if it meant getting yelled at by Aster again. So long as Syrus was safe, he hoped they might be a little more willing to let bygones be bygones, even though it was a serious long shot to be sure.

"Perhaps, but there are rules we must all follow." Bastion countered, fairly learned in the ways of the more important families throughout the twelve dimensions, just as aware of Syrus's situation as Jaden was. "And his highness has broken quite a few of his own."

"Now now Bastion, there's no need to make a fuss." Sheppard advised, regarding Syrus's presence again before continuing to speak. "We'll discuss our royal visitor another time. But for now, it seems young Jesse has something very important to say. Isn't that right?"

"Yessir." Jesse nodded, taking a step closer to Jaden, the wedged heel of his boots clicking on the ivory floor, the soft sound somehow echoing louder than any other footstep had. His beautiful emerald eyes re-locking themselves on Jaden he took a deep breath, having no choice now but to speak the truth. "You wanna know how I know you?" he asked, not even his strange accent taking away from the tense feeling Jaden got in his chest, the serious tone in Jesse's voice more intense than he thought the celestial beauty would even be capable of. Even feeling Syrus's gaze shift from him to Jesse, Jaden didn't dare look away. "Well, you know who I am. I was created by the Rainbow Dragon. Well, he told me a _lot_ about you."

"But why?" Jaden questioned, a little nervous about what Jesse's answer would be, but there was no going back now. After all, if Jesse knew who he really was, this would be the moment he had been waiting for as long as he could remember. The reason why Zane had sent him on his journey in the first place. "Just who the hell am I!?"

"You and I are the same." Jesse said, catching Jaden completely off guard. The others in his party reacted quietly to themselves. Only Bastion and Sheppard remaining unphased by Jesse's claim. "Only, you weren't brought into this world by Rainbow Dragon."

"What the hell…?" Chazz inquired to himself. To him, Jaden hadn't been anything more than just a strange kid Alexis was escorting around for some reason. He wasn't anything special. But if Jesse was telling the truth, it meant that Jaden too was created by the celestials for some unknown purpose. But why someone so useless as Jaden? And with no memories at that? Why?

"Jaden…" Syrus gasped, looking back up at his friend. "You don't think…?"

"It was the Neo Spacians, wasn't it…" Jaden realized, taking his deck from the deck box situated at his natural waistline. Running his free hand over the glossy cardboard paper he stared at the image of a somewhat alien-like superhero the bottom card depicted, suddenly remembering the voice he had heard in his sleep again.

" _It's nearly time, Jaden. Time to learn who you truly are."_

Jesse nodded, confirming Jaden's suspicions. Jaden knew he had to have _some_ kind of connection to them. Having their cards and everyone everywhere basically saying the same things about him made that clear. Besides, the fact that he had dropped out of the sky without a memory to his name was strange enough to tell him he probably wasn't just any normal human being. But now knowing he wasn't truly human at all… it was a lot to take in…

"But there's more." Jesse sighed, sad to have to tell him such a terrible thing. But he also knew he couldn't leave out the most important parts. After all, Rainbow Dragon had given him life for the soul purpose of helping Jaden to fulfill his own purpose. If he said nothing he would be defying more than just his own divine parentage, but Jaden's as well. "And it might help explain your, well… strange memory situation."

"What is it?" Jaden asked, eager to know the answer to his annoying lack of memories, and if they could explain why he had fallen out of the sky like he had, that would be fantastic too. "What happened to me?"

"Y'see, Jaden. You were made for a very specific purpose." Jesse explained, doing his best to keep all the facts straight and simple for him. "To defeat the demon Yubel, and stop her from destroying each and every dimension along with the celestials."

"I-I was…?" Jaden whispered quietly, remembering the legend Crowler had told them about Yubel. Thinking back a moment longer, he also recalled what Yubel had said to him when she appeared to them before.

* * *

" _But of course, you wouldn't remember, would you? You can't remember a single thing about yourself, can you?" she laughed to herself one more time before continuing to speak. "I suppose that only makes sense. After all, the last time we met… I killed you."_

* * *

"She said… she killed me…" he continued, feeling a slight tingle in his body as the thoughts flowed through him faster than he could even hope to control. Blinking swiftly, somehow he felt like there was hole inside of him that was slowly beginning to refill itself.

"It's true." Sheppard added, taking a step closer to the two celestial children, gently placing a hand on Jesse's shoulder for a moment, turning his gaze slowly back and forth between them. "Before you arrived, I was able to commune with the Rainbow Dragon. He told me everything, children." sighing quietly to himself he could see the torment in Jaden's eyes. All of this was so much for his pure heart and young mind to hear. But it was the purpose he was born for, and he needed to know. "The Neo Spacians created you as a means to stop Yubel before she could exact her revenge and destroy all life in the universe. But they made a terrible mistake."

"A mistake…?" Syrus questioned, his own worried eyes locking themselves on Jaden, the emotional pain on the brunette's face cutting through his heart like a razor.

"Indeed." Sheppard nodded "You see, when Jaden was created, he was sent nearly immediately to face Yubel. The Neo Spacians thought that his base strength would be enough to defeat her, thinking that she had been weakened by her exile even with her escape. But they had grossly underestimated Yubel's own level of strength, and Jaden was not ready to face her. Not alone."

" _I…"_ Jaden thought, his head beginning to pound while he listened to Sheppard's words. " _I think I…"_

"So? What happened?" Chazz spoke up, finally over his squabble with Alexis now with Bastion more or less forcing the two to stand on either side of him, breaking them apart like a mother separating her bickering children. And listening in on the conversation, he couldn't help but ask.

"Well, my child. It's as Jaden said." Sheppard answered, sad that what Yubel had said was the truth of the matter. "She overpowered and destroyed him."

"Damn…" Alexis muttered under her breath, really not expecting the stupid kid she had decided to help out of a jam was such a big deal. And on top of that, someone who had more or less been murdered in the past. But that of course brought up a very important question. "But, if she destroyed him, how the hell is he alive now?"

"Yes, I suppose that is strange…" Bastion wondered aloud, sharing Alexis's confusion.

"Y'see," Jesse continued, picking up the story where Sheppard had left off, "His body was destroyed, but Jaden's spirit survived. And it just kinda floated through the twelve dimensions aimlessly for a long time. Until one day, when his soul was strong enough, and his body reformed."

"And that's… why I fell…" Jaden realized, putting all the pieces together as best he could while Jesse and Sheppard dropped the bombshell that was his origin onto him. It was all so much to take him, but knowing who he was and where he came from… after all this time, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

"That's right." Sheppard nodded, offering the boy a soft and gentle smile, knowing he probably needed one right about now.

"And… my memories…?"

"Well Jaden, when your body was reformed, you were born again as a completely new, pure life." Sheppard explained, still feeling awful for the poor child. He never asked to be given the life he was. For all poor Jaden knew before now he could have just been a normal child with terrible amnesia. To be honest, Sheppard thought it was terribly unfair. "And because of that, I assume that would be why what memories you had from before that time are gone."

"This is… a lot to take in…" Jaden sighed, doing his best to process all the information he was being assailed with. He knew there had to be more to him than probably anyone expected there to be. But now hearing that he wasn't a normal human being like he thought, it was just so hard to take in. He had no one. He wasn't born into a family, and he had no childhood or really a life at all to look back on and go home to. He was made to be a warrior. A weapon. It felt…awful…

"I'm sorry Jaden." Jesse sighed, also beginning to feel Jaden's pain. "But I was created to help you. I had to tell you."

"Don't worry about it." Jaden dismissed, shaking his head for a moment. He hated how awful he felt knowing who he really was, but the last thing he wanted was for Jesse to feel bad for telling him. He had been looking for the answers since the moment he first opened his eyes. And no matter how bad the truth felt, he wouldn't trade the relief he felt having finally found those answers for anything in the world. But still he worried about the weight of the truth of his identity all the same. He was meant for a great purpose. To defeat Yubel before she could destroy all life in the universe, and that scared him to think about. But at the same time, he felt strangely at peace, and there was a warmth in his heart he had never felt before. Despite his fear, standing there in that group, with people he called friends around him, he felt safe.


	12. A Moment of Reprieve

_**-Chapter 12-** _

It was all still so much for Jaden to take in. He had never truly thought he was a normal person, although he did entertain the thought for a short time, but never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that he was a creation of the celestials themselves, and on top of that Jesse was too. Had it not been explained to him by such credible sources he doubted he would have believed it for a second until the celestials appeared and told him themselves, which he knew full well would probably never happen. But then, the voice he had heard in his dreams…

"Are you sure you're okay, Jaden…?" Syrus questioned, a look of concern on his face while he observed his dear friend, his small hand making contact with the almost silky long sleeve of the glove-lets the brunette had been wearing for quite some time, trying to catch Jaden's attention. "You seem distracted."

"Sorry, Sy." Jaden sighed, blinking for a second he took in the sight of the guest room they had moved to to speak privately, remembering just what was going on around him, Jaden shook his head in an attempt to make his thoughts start to behave themselves. "It's just a lot to take in, y'know? I mean, it's not everyday someone comes along and tells you you're technically not even human.."

"Yes, I suppose that's true…"

"Maybe not." Jesse interjected, smiling softly as he placed his hand on Jaden's shoulder, giving it a little reassuring squeeze. "But at least you're not the only one. I'm not so human myself, remember?"

"Well, yeah…" Jaden sighed, not at all about to forget that entirely different bombshell. Sighing he thought back on everything he had done since he had fallen, all the people he had met. If anything in his past had been different, or if he had been born a normal human… he probably never would have met them. Jesse wouldn't have been born, and Yubel would probably continue to cause destruction, with no one to help the celestials defeat her. Or at least someone that wasn't him. It was all so jarring to even think about…

"I am curious about something?" Syrus spoke up, looking to Jesse for a moment since he figured that of the three of them minus Bastion shadowing them from the corner, Jesse might actually have somewhat of an accurate answer. "If the celestials are all powerful… I don't understand why they would need to create warriors to battle for them? Couldn't they just defeat her themselves...?"

"Well, it's hard to say." Jesse wondered, going over all the possible theories he could think of for something that made sense. "The last time she went on a rampage, all they could do was seal her away. So maybe… they're just not meant to destroy? So they had to create Jaden as a human, to do the one thing they can't." Thinking it over some more it still confused even him a little to be honest, but still it was the most logical thing he could think of without any actual concrete answers. "Or, y'know, something like that?"

"Maybe." Jaden shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't really matter why as long as we do our job. Right?"

"You've got a point there, Jaden." Jesse chuckled, amused by his overly positive disposition despite the terribly heavy burden that was being thrust upon him out of the blue. A burden he had been born to shoulder, but because Yubel had more or less murdered him the first time they fought everything down to his memories were wiped clean, only his soul surviving the devastating defeat.

"Allow me to interrupt for a moment." Bastion spoke up, taking a small step forward from his place in the corner, keeping constant tabs on Jesse as Rainbow Dragon himself instructed him to do. "Pardon me for changing the subject, but I don't believe it's wise for the prince to stay any longer. As I said before, we should return him home immediately."

"Bastion, please." Jesse sighed, shaking his head at his assigned caretaker. "He came all this way to see Jaden, let them have some time."

"I understand that, Jesse. I'm only concerned how his majesty the king will react when he learns his brother is missing." Bastion explained. He didn't want to be rude or take away from the reunion of the two friends, but he also wasn't one to condone the breaking of rules, and the young prince had certainly done his fair share of that just by coming there in the first place. As well, Bastion didn't want to have trouble brought to them and Sheppard for deliberately not returning the prince despite knowing the regulations the prince was required to follow.

"He is right, to be fair." Jaden added, turning a worried eye to his dear friend. "Your brother's gonna be pissed when he finds out you're gone."

"Yes, I know." Syrus nodded back, knowing full well what he did was wrong despite his pure intentions. "But I wanted to make sure you were getting on alright, since you had been alone last I saw you… though, I'm sure you're doing just fine, with a party as strong as yours." he sighed, tired of having to even convince _himself_ he wasn't technically doing anything wrong, but it was hard when he was deliberately disobeying his brother despite how much he hated the ridiculous rules he had had to follow basically his entire life. "Still… I'm sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you all…"

"Hey, don't be upset." Jaden soothed, reaching over and taking his friend's tiny hand in his own, attempting to offer comfort to the dejected bluenette. "I'm really happy you came. I did miss you, Sy." smiling softly, he felt better now seeing Syrus's face light up a little as he spoke. "Besides, your lessons actually helped me out of more than one tough spot. I was worried I wouldn't get a chance to thank you."

"Jaden.." Syrus quietly gasped, his spirits lifting higher and higher by the second now. He expected it was helpful to Jaden for him to explain so many things to him before he had to leave, but still he couldn't help but feel honored to have been of use to him even a little bit.

"And I appreciate your kindness for coming to check on me, we just don't want you to get in too much trouble because of it." Jaden explained, only trying to look about for his friend just as Syrus was trying to look out for him.

"You're all very kind." Syrus smiled, acknowledging Jesse and Bastion as well as Jaden, glad the brunette had found himself in such clearly good company with them. As well, having Alexis whom he had known since they were young children, and Chazz, the most highly skilled and experienced warrior among them, highly revered in his own dimension and favored by Chancellor Crowler. A fact which Jaden had been made more than aware of by then.

"As are you, highness." Bastion conceded, a soft smile of his own finding a place on his face, slowly being won over by the adorable prince's kind heart and pure intent. Still, he had reservations about Syrus's prolonged presence in the temple, but he decided he would keep them to himself for now, as not to spoil their reunion any further than he may have already.

"So, how did you end up here, Jaden?" Syrus asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend, turning the subject away from himself finally, really not wanting to talk about how much trouble he was going to be in anymore. "What happened..?"

"It's a long story, Sy." Jaden answered, sighing at the thought of the long winded tale he began to recount to his friend. Telling him of how he had met Alexis, aiding her in the rescuing of Prince Atticus, Syrus listened carefully to every word he spoke. Taking mental notes along the way Syrus felt nothing but pride in the wonderful deeds Jaden had assisted in, rescuing not only Atticus, but Chazz as well, building his small group of companions in the process, as well recounting the legend Crowler had detailed to them. Jesse nodded along as Jaden recounted the legend of Yubel's descent into madness and her lust for vengeance, each and every word ringing true to him, more or less pre-programmed with the knowledge of what had happened all those many years ago. But as Jaden continued his tale, an important detail struck Jesse.

"When she was there with us… all I felt was a deep, shooting pain in my body." Jaden explained, dejected from the memory of how useless he had been then and the danger his uselessness had placed his companions in. "I couldn't move, I couldn't hardly stand even… we could've all been killed if Jesse and Bastion hadn't appeared to save us…"

"Oh my…" Syrus gasped, blown away by Jaden's wild tale, as well horrified by the fact that Jaden as well as Alexis and Chazz could very well have been killed not but a few hours ago. He almost couldn't believe it. "That's horrible…"

"But how could that be?" Bastion questioned, raising an eyebrow at the brunette. It's true he had arrived to rescue the trio, but Jaden's state at that time had certainly done a number on Bastion's thoughts, unsure why it was that way. "You were created for the soul purpose of defeating Yubel. How could her presence inflict such grievous harm upon you? I dare say, It is strange."

"I don't know.." Jaden sighed, lowering his head in shame. He too didn't understand why such a thing was so either, more bothered by the event than anyone else there.

"I might." Jesse offered, a seriousness coming over his tone. "When the Neo Spacians sent you to fight her before, when you were defeated your body was completely destroyed, as you know." He continued to explain, reiterating the facts for a moment despite Jaden's distaste for them. "It seems like, the defeat was so devastating, and her power so overwhelming for you to handle. Her dark energy was so powerful against you, when it destroyed your body, It looks like your surviving soul was cursed in the process."

"Cursed..?" Jaden questioned, his eyes widening at the assertion. "Is that why…?"

"I think so." Jesse nodded in response "When he spoke to me, Rainbow Dragon seemed to think so too. And so, it was a deciding factor in why he created me in the first place. Because if you really were cursed, then you would need even more help."

"But how is he supposed to fight her if her presence immobilizes him..?" Syrus interjected, starting to get worried about Jaden's chances of winning against her in their inevitable confrontation.

"That's what I'd like to know. We made it out this time but… I couldn't exactly be much help, and _I'm_ the one who's supposed to fight her in the first place!" Jaden protested, extremely frustrated remembering how useless he had been before, only being able to sit there in pain while she toyed with his companions. It was horrible to even think about being that useless again. "And even with Jesse there, I doubt it'll do too much… and now it looks like I'm… cursed..?"

"But Jaden, I told you, I'm here to help you." Jesse reminded him, bringing the conversation they had had before back up again, releasing his hold on the brunette's arm. "But that ain't specific to just fighting." Smiling gently back at Jaden, Jesse took his hand into his own, giving it a slight squeeze in an attempt to further show his loyalty and care. "I can't make it go away, but I think I can help ease the effects of the curse at least a little bit."

"Uh, what…?" Jaden raised an eyebrow at his new companion, almost alarmed by how convenient Jesse's presence was proving to be for him. Of course, that was the boy's intended purpose, but actually seeing that purpose begin to show itself was a little jarring amidst all the inconveniences he had experienced thus far. "How is that even possible…?"

"Well, like I said, I _think_ it'll work." Jesse reiterated, hoping his plan would work, but considering the origin of his idea, he figured there was a strong enough chance it would be a success. "Y'see, I was gifted the seven Crystal Beasts by Rainbow Dragon as sort of… spirit guardians you could say?" he explained, hoping this would make even the slightest sense to poor confused Jaden. "And before we left to find you, he gave me a guardian to pass on to you."

"What?" Jaden questioned, struggling to take all of this in. Everything was flooding into his brain so fast it was almost impossible to properly process it all effectively.

"Well, if I'm being accurate, it was given to Rainbow Dragon by Neos first." Jesse explained further, recalling all the Rainbow Dragon had told him as well as the knowledge he had been pre-programmed with. "When your body reformed, Neos realized that the curse on your soul was their own fault. They failed to give you enough time to build your own strength because they were so worried about stopping Yubel quickly. And because of that, they didn't have time to create a guardian for you, which left you completely vulnerable to darkness. So, Neos himself created a creature to guard your spirit and gave it to Rainbow Dragon to give to his own creation -me- so it could be passed to you."

"That's amazing!" Syrus gasped, completely fascinated by the great tales he was being told. Never did he ever imagine he would be in the presence of celestial forces, even partial ones like Jaden and Jesse. He had always been fascinated by the celestials like many others were, especially given his status in one of the celestially blessed dimensions, his own being one overseen by the divine Cyber End Dragon. If his brother would ever stop being angry with him for leaving, Syrus would have loved to tell him about all of this someday.

"Indeed." Bastion nodded, intrigued by the information that had not been shared with him previously. But of course, his appointed task was to see to it that Jesse did not come to harm, not to know every single thing he did. After all, it really was none of his concern until then anyway. Turning his eyes to Jaden, the brunette was completely dumbfounded by what he was being told. Only a few hours ago he knew absolutely nothing about himself, but now he was being bombarded by bombshell after bombshell. It was all just so much.

"Sorry, I know this is a lot." Jesse smiled softly, placing his hand on Jaden's arm, sincerely wishing there was something he could do to make the mental and emotional strain Jaden had to be facing any easier to deal with. "But It'll be alright, okay?"

Feeling his cheeks start to warm up at Jesse's touch, Jaden found himself staring for a moment. He knew it was rude to stare but something within him just compelled him to keep looking, his face beginning to turn exponentially more red he swiftly tore his gaze away, turning his head away from Jesse he sighed, partially from relief, and partially because he knew Jesse was right. He was right about everything.

"You're right." He nodded, hoping he would stop blushing so he could bring himself to look at Jesse again without completely embarrassing himself any more than he probably already had. There was no way Jesse didn't catch at least part of his intense blushing. It was over, it was all over and it hadn't even begun.

"Well, either way, I think it's time I pass on this little guy." Jesse chuckled, indeed aware of Jaden's little blush fit. Beckoning the little creature hiding in his spirit to awaken and appear Jesse's body took a thin glow, seven differently pastel colored lights appeared as well around his body. Extending his arm out Jesse put his hand on Jaden's chest as the light covering Jesse moved along him, covering Jaden in it's sparkle as well. Whispering quietly to himself for a moment Jesse locked his eyes on Jaden, only a single moment passing before the light faded. Confused completely and utterly by what had just happened, Jaden looked back to Jesse, gasping loudly he jumped at what he saw. The pastel lights that had been surrounding Jesse had suddenly become fully formed beasts. Covering his mouth with his hands he tried to contain his surprise, yet glancing to Bastion and Syrus, it seemed as if they couldn't see what he was seeing. Staring a moment longer, a strange new voice caught his ear.

" _Kuri kuri!"_

Widening his eyes even more Jaden stared as a little brown puffball with little angel wings appeared before him, happily bouncing about in the air before him, ecstatic that he had finally been passed on to his proper master.

"W-What is that?" Jaden asked, still in complete shock from what had happened to him. Slowly and cautiously reaching his hand out to the little creature, he could feel the creature's soft fur on his fingertips as his hand made contact with the little guy. Bastion and Syrus gave each other confused glances, only able to see the spirit creatures as small collections of light around the two celestial children. But after a moment of consideration, they figured it only made sense for only the two of them to be able to see these alleged creatures.

"This little guy's called Winged Kuriboh, Jaden." Jesse explained, an adorable smile on his face as he took in the sight of Jaden and his spirit guardian. It was a truly wholesome sight to see indeed. "If my theory's right, having him inside your soul just might help dispel that nasty curse, and it won't hurt to be around Yubel as much."

"Really…?" Jaden observed, his heart warmed by how happy the little creature seemed to be, giving the fuzzy guy a small series of soft pets, he couldn't help but smile at the happy spirit guardian.

"Really." Jesse nodded, hoping with all his might that the kuriboh would be enough. Reaching out and petting his own guardians a little, he smiled, letting out a little chuckle while little Ruby perched herself on his shoulder, snuggling her tiny face against his cheek. Giving her a small scratch under her chin he looked back to Jaden, the remainder of the beats returning to Jesse's soul leaving only Ruby with him for the time being. "He'll rest inside your body until he feels that you need him, or if you call him. But I think his light should be able to at least partially remove Yubel's darkness from your soul."

"I sure hope so." Jaden sighed, letting the kuriboh hang out a little longer. He hated the feeling of being useless before, letting Chazz and Alexis be put in such immediate danger like that… he too hoped Winged Kuriboh could help him be able to stand in Yubel's presence without feeling that intense pain again. If not for his own sake, then for the sake of his friends.

" _Kuri.."_

"Thanks, little guy." Jaden chuckled quietly, giving him one more gentle pat before the little creature flew forwards, fusing himself back into Jaden's slim form. Placing his hand on his chest where the kuriboh had entered, Jaden finally started to feel a little better. Even if he couldn't fulfill his purpose himself, he was proud to know he had someone as kind as Jesse to aid him, and even more proud to have so many people standing beside him who wouldn't let him fight alone.

* * *

About that same time on the other end of the temple's guest quarters, Alexis sat alone in the room she had been given as well, having not moved from her place on the bed she was borrowing she stared at the circular communicator in her hands. She had been trying to convince herself to use it ever since the day she had first run away from her royal life. But no matter how hard she tried, or as much as she wanted to… she could never bring herself to use it. She couldn't face her brother after leaving him the way she had, not even saying a single word. And after leaving him a second time, all she could do was feel even more guilty knowing she had caused him so much pain, and yet she was walking out on him again. Of course, this time she promised to come back, and he was fine with that. But now here she was, stuck following Jaden even longer… with no choice but to stay if she wanted to protect her dear brother, and shield him from Yubel's wrath. It was killing her inside. And after everything Yubel had done to her, what she had seen back then…

" _I need you, brother…"_ She thought to herself, clutching the device tighter in her hand, raising her fist up to her chest she held it above her heart. " _I need you to forgive me…"_ He had told her once before, after coming to his rescue that he didn't blame her for what had befallen him. But those weren't the only words she needed to hear. Taking a deep breath she knew what she had to do. No matter how hard it was, she had to talk to him. Releasing her grip on the small device just a little she looked at the connection frequency. She hadn't changed it from Atticus's even once since she first left three years ago. Feeling the butterflies in her stomach start to grow stronger she took another deep breath, collecting herself for a moment before daring to turn it on. Waiting anxiously Alexis held her breath, hardly able to contain her anxiety while she waited. But then the moment came.

"Alexis? Is everything alright?"

Her hazel eyes stared unblinking as the soft blue holographic image of her brother's bust was cast before her, the holographic field emanating from the deep blue crystalline object situated at the device's head. For a moment she was silent, unable to find the words she so desperately needed to say.

"You're distressed." Atticus said, a quiet sigh escaping from his lips, his crystal-like brown eyes softening as he looked into her own. "You know I can feel that much." offering a gentle smile he beckoned his sister to speak to him one more time. "So, tell me. What's wrong?"

"Well…" She began, her voice low and trembling, as if she was afraid to even speak of it. "It turns out I'm gonna be gone longer than I thought. I wanted to let you know…"

"Alexis…" Atticus sighed again, her emotions swirling around him like an invisible mist had enveloped his body. He had always been able to feel the emotions of those around him, telling him exactly how people were feeling. But he could always feel hers the strongest. He knew there was more to her contact than she was telling him. Even without being able to feel her emotions, that much was more than obvious to him. "You know you can't hide your feelings from me. Please, tell me what's _really_ bothering you. You can be honest with me."

"Atticus I… I'm so sorry…" She admitted, doing her best to keep her composure. "I'm sorry for everything. It's all my fault… everything…"

"I told you, sis. I don't blame you." Atticus answered, a sad look in his eyes, upset that his sister was still hung up on his capture. He hadn't blamed her for even a second, not for any of it. He was upset she had gone away, but if anyone he blamed himself for the situation she and Jaden had rescued him from. But it seemed she still disagreed over who was to blame. "I never blamed you once."

"I know that!" Alexis countered, her voice raising slightly, trembling further while she swiftly shook her head at her brother's statement, more than aware of his stance on that matter. "I know… but it's not that…"

"Well then, what is it, Lexi…?" Atticus asked back, sad that his sister was so terribly torn up inside. "I can feel what you and everyone else feels, but unless you tell me… I won't ever know _why_."

Alexis lowered her head, remembering the terrible visions she had seen while Yubel was manipulating her heart. The pain she had witnessed others inflict upon her precious brother. And looking at him now, she could still see the fading bruises on his normally flawless face, and the slightest glimpse of a bandage underneath his bangs where a wound was hidden, and blood had stained his fair skin. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake the images of her brother's broken body from her mind. All of it had happened. Everything he went through, it was all because she had to fulfill her selfish desire and leave her royal life behind her. She knew he didn't blame her, he said so. But those weren't the words she needed to hear, She wanted his forgiveness.

"I saw it, Atticus." She admitted, scared to relive it, but prepared to face it all the same. "We were attacked by a demon. A fallen celestial from ancient legends. And she manipulated my heart… she showed me everything… everything that happened to you…" she turned her eyes away from Atticus as she explained. She just couldn't bear to look at him now, not with such deep shame rising in her heart. "All the pain you were forced to endure… and all the sadness I caused you by running away… I…"

"Lexi…" Atticus gasped quietly, horrified by what Alexis was saying to him. He knew she was hurting inside, but he never would have guessed she would have experienced something like that. It had to have been a harrowing experience for her.

"Atticus please, I need to know… could you ever forgive me for all the pain I caused you…?" She admitted further, feeling her chest tighten up as tears began to fall from her eyes despite how hard she tried to stop them. "Please… please forgive me…"

Atticus was completely dumbfounded. Widening his eyes for a moment his heart ached for her. He knew she felt guilty and that there was a deeply cutting pain in her heart, but now seeing just how unable and unwilling she was to forgive herself tore him up inside too. He never wanted anything like this for her. All he wanted was for her to be happy, and follow her own path. But as it turned out the path she had chosen had caused her nothing but heartache and misery, leaving her more broken than even she would admit. Atticus sighed quietly under his breath, wishing more than anything that he could be there with her in person to give her the comfort she so desperately needed, and that for three long years he had been unable to give her.

"Oh, Lexi.." Atticus soothed, wanting nothing more than for his sister to feel better, and to see her tears disappear for good. "For a long time, I never understood why it was you left. I thought it was because of me for a while… but then I realized, the life we were born to live wasn't where you were meant to be. And no matter what, I never faulted you for it no matter how sad it made me that you were gone."

"B-But I…"

"Alexis, look at me." He beckoned, waiting patiently for his sister's teary eyes to turn back to him. Locking his eyes on hers again, he smiled. "I forgive you."

Her breath hitching almost immediately Alexis's eyes widened. Tears falling endlessly from her hazel orbs she felt something shatter within her. Like somehow her brother's words had destroyed every single wall she had built up over the last three years. Everything she had done to shield herself, and keep her emotions inside where no one could see them. All of it was gone. Letting herself sink into her heart she cried harder. Feeling the hundred pound weight on her shoulders finally lift after all this time, she couldn't help but sob.

"A-Atticus..!" She cried again, tears now streaming relentlessly and uninhibited from her eyes, sinking deeper and deeper into the long unexplored portion of her heart she had abandoned along with her royal title.

"I forgive you, Lexi."

As Alexis sobbed, just outside in the hallway, Chazz stood beside the doorway. Leaning his back against the wall he listened to her cry. He hadn't meant to overhear what of the conversation he had, but it was too late to go back now. They had all known she was carrying a deep pain in her heart for a while now. Despite her efforts to keep it hidden it had been apparent the entire time she was around, her true feelings seeping out on more than one occasion. Sighing quietly to himself Chazz closed his eyes, lowering his head he pinched the bridge of his nose between his right thumb and pointer finger, the clink of his silver gauntlets ringing in his ears yet doing nothing to drown out Alexis's sobs. It was weird hearing such a thing coming from her of all people. She was usually so held together and strong it was almost sad to see her break down. But still, Chazz knew it wasn't his place to get involved, after all, she hated his guts. Shaking his head for a moment he removed himself from his place up against the wall, quietly walking back down the hall, not wanting to alert her to his presence lest she only become angry with him again and hate him even more than he was aware she already did. Walking a few steps further, he hated that he could still hear her crying. Sighing silently to himself he stopped for only a moment before turning to walk away, leaving Alexis to finally begin to heal in peace.


	13. Omen

_**-Chapter 13-** _

Sheppard sighed quietly to himself as he meditated within the inner sanctum of the temple. He knew this day was coming, he had foreseen it long ago. But still he couldn't have been prepared to inflict such strain upon a child like Jaden, so lost and confused, it wasn't fair. Were he not a faithful man, he would have cursed the celestials for fabricating those poor souls to do what they should have done a thousand years ago when they had the chance. But now they were powerless against her. The celestials were powerful indeed, but their powers could not destroy a being that used to be one of their own. Had they done more while she still retained a portion of her celestial force, they could have stopped her. But now, her overwhelming darkness and hatred more or less made her immune to their power. It wasn't fair, not for Jaden and Jesse, not for anyone.

"Poor children…" Sheppard sighed again, wishing there was something he could do to change things for them, or something he could have done long ago to change the events he had seen. But he knew better than that. He had been given the power to foresee the future and events of the past, but he was forbidden from changing it. "I am sorry, all of you…"

Sitting a while longer before the Rainbow Dragon's altar, Sheppard felt a change in the air around him. Closing his eyes for a moment, the blackness he was granted changed. Morphing into a scene before he could even think to open his eyes again. He could see a great city, glittering and bustling with life. It was a great metropolis, the eleventh dimension no doubt. However, he could feel suffering. He saw a young man, a child not much younger than Jaden and the others. The boy was strapped down to a table, the lower half of his chest wrapped in thick bandages, and he was surrounded by scientists taking notes and barking orders at each other, and what seemed to be high ranking military officers overseeing whatever cruel actions were taking place. The boy's eyes were screwed shut, panting heavily as his breath hitched and staggered, sweat dripping from his tanned skin while the scientists poked and prodded him, taking sample after sample of blood and DNA from him. Sheppard felt a weight on his heart as he saw the scenes he was being shown unfold before him. In each one, the child was in pain. Subject to countless experiments and tests for what seemed to be a long time. From what Sheppard could piece together it appeared as if the child had been taken by the eleventh dimension's government and put through countless experiments over a long period. It was like they were trying to create a weapon out of the poor boy. But when the scene shifted once more, he saw the same child in the hands of another scientist he hadn't seen before. The man wasn't that different from most he had seen, but the bandages over his right eye and the rather large crocodile he had strapped to his back was certainly something strange about him. But instead of inflicting pain on the young boy, it seemed like the scientist was… helping him escape?

 _"Oh my.."_ Sheppard thought, glad that _someone_ seemed to have come to their senses at least. Gasping for a moment he saw a flash of red across his vision, the scene flickering back and forth between the escape and from what little he could make out looked like an attack. The two young ones on the ground, pain on their faces. In the back of his mind Sheppard could hear a maniacal, almost unhinged sounding cackle. Grunting as he felt the weight on his heart and body increase, he saw her there. Yubel.

Gasping, Sheppard's eyes shot open, breathing heavily for a moment he felt the weight on his heart release. He hadn't had a vision so intense in many a year, he couldn't even remember what it may have been about. But still he worried deeply about what he had seen.

"Oh, that poor child…" He sighed, remembering the pain he had seen on the boy's face again and again. And yet one thing intrigued him. Throughout all the torment the young one had been put through, Sheppard hadn't felt a single drop of darkness in the boy's heart. All the more worrying when he recalled Yubel's presence in the final vision. "I must inform Jaden and Jesse immediately." Thinking aloud to himself he stood, turning to the ceiling high doors behind him he stopped for a moment. On the other side he could hear myriad voices raising, as if something was wrong. Hurrying over Sheppard beckoned the doors open for him so he could investigate, though it was clear the moment the doors first cracked open what it was. Needing no more than a second Sheppard recognized the voice creating the majority of the ruckus.

The king had arrived.

* * *

"What's goin' on out there?" Jesse questioned, rising from his seat beside Jaden, listening to the commotion going on in the main temple. Syrus and Jaden listening in as well, Bastion too shifting his attention from shadowing Jesse to the goings on from where he assumed was the main hall. The sounds of people shouting carried through the hall outside leading to the guest quarters where they had been speaking, the maesters and acolytes alike sounding as if they were trying to appease someone. But among all the voices, one stood out from the rest.

"Oh no…" Syrus sighed. His brother's deep and harsh baritone completely unmistakable even amongst a symphony of voices that would have drowned any other voice out. "It's my brother…"

"Oh boy.." Jaden cringed, completely expecting the man to murder him on sight once he laid eyes on them again. Zane didn't like him anyway, he already knew that. But also he realized that if Zane was there then Aster was no doubt with him as well, and Aster hated him far more than anyone else Jaden had ever met did. Seeing them again was _not_ going to be fun.

"Well then, we had better go out there." Bastion advised, his stern eyes turning to the little prince opposite Jaden and Jesse. "Doubtless they've come to take his highness back home. Where he's supposed to be."

"Right…" Syrus sighed one more time, dejectedly standing from his seat as well. He knew that was why they had to have come, after all he wasn't supposed to use his powers without express permission, and on top of that he wasn't even allowed to leave the castle grounds unless it was absolutely necessary. He hadn't left a note or anything, so he figured Sheppard had probably contacted his brother to tell him that he had come. That would be just like the wise and ever responsible ruler to do, but Syrus wouldn't fault him for that, after all he _had_ broken several security rules to come and find Jaden. Whatever punishment his brother had in mind, he would just have to face it.

"It'll be fine, Sy." Jaden offered to his friend, joining him as he walked out into the hallway, Jesse and Bastion following behind as well. Taking Syrus down the hall to the main sanctum of the temple, Jaden only felt more and more nervous as Zane's angry shouts grew louder and closer, clearly more than a little unhappy that his brother had left home without so much as a note left behind. It wasn't Sheppard's fault, but Zane was shouting at him all the same. Taking a deep breath to stay calm, they pressed on.

"I'll only ask you one more time. Where the hell is my brother!?" Zane demanded, losing more and more patience by the second. Sheppard had indeed contacted him to let him know Syrus had come there, but by then the castle was already in an uproar having discovered the prince's absence. He was relieved to hear that his brother hadn't been taken, but at the same time he was furious that he had left the castle, directly disobeying the rules their parents had set in place before they passed away. Rules he had vowed to uphold in order to keep his brother safe from those who would seek to take advantage of his powers.

"My lord." Aster interrupted, directing Zane's attention to the right side of the entrance hall where the group of friends had emerged from the side hallway.

"Brother.." Syrus said, sincerely nervous about having to face his brother's wrath and punishment for having disobeyed him, but he knew he had to face the consequences of his actions either way.

"Come here, now!" Zane scolded, narrowing his already furious narrow eyes at his little brother, demanding he come over so they could discuss his departure. Although everyone there could tell that it was going to be less discussion and more angry yelling. Jaden, Jesse, and Bastion as well escorted Syrus to his brother's side, not wanting him to face the man's wrath alone. As well, Jaden knew he and Aster would have a few choice words to say to him too considering the reason Syrus had left in the first place was to try and find him.

"H-Hello, brother.." Syrus stuttered out, admittedly a little frightened by his brother when he was angry like he was now. Keeping relatively close to Jaden he waited for his brother's scolding.

"What were you thinking, Syrus!?" Zane continued to scold, his voice raising once more as his frustration grew. "You deliberately disobeyed me! You know you're forbidden from using your powers without permission! _And_ you left the castle grounds unaccompanied and without notice!"

"But if I had said something you never would have-"

"-Of course not!" Zane fired back, interrupting Syrus's argument before he could speak any further. "Do you have any idea how much danger you could have placed yourself in!? What if you had been kidnapped? Or worse!? What do you think would have happened then!?" frustrated, Zane let out a deep and heavy sigh, fully aware how bad losing his temper in public like that made him look, but the deep anger and disappointment he felt towards his brother at the moment didn't seem to care. "You know better, Syrus. I've told you time and again the importance of the rules our father put in place for you, and yet you don't listen! I thought I taught you better than that."

"I-I'm sorry…" Syrus said quietly, ashamed of himself for deliberately disobeying his brother even though his intentions were pure. He knew better, but he was too worried about his friend to care about following rules that he had always thought were a little overkill anyway. He understood why they had those rules, it wasn't that he didn't. But he cared too much about his only friend to care about upholding them just this once. He hoped his brother could find it in his heart to understand that, but Zane really never was one for compassion unlike Syrus was.

"And _you._ " Aster glared, directing his attention to the most hated brunette, knowing full well from Sheppard's account that he was the cause of all of this. "I doubt you've forgotten what I said to you when last we spoke."

Thinking back for only a moment, Jaden cringed at the memory.

"I haven't." Jaden nodded nervously, really hating this conversation on so many levels. "You said you never wanted to see my face again." he recounted, finding enough courage within himself to glare back at Aster, doing his best to withstand his terribly icy and subtly angry gaze. "And that if Sy's trust in me brought him harm, I'd face both of your wrath." maintaining his eye contact with Aster, he placed a hand on Syrus's shoulder. "Well it seems to me he's perfectly safe. So don't even think about taking this out on me. Besides, Syrus only left because he was worried and wanted to help a friend. So as far as I'm concerned, he didn't even do anything wrong."

"Jaden.." Syrus said, surprised he would be so bold as to talk back to Aster like that.

"You overstep your bounds, Mr. Yuki." Aster spat venomously, his hatred for Jaden surfacing more than he would have cared to admit.

"Aster, that's enough." Zane commanded, too frustrated with his brother to have the patience to deal with Aster and Jaden squabbling. Heeding his king's order Aster backed down. Frustratedly scribbling more notes down on his perpetually present clipboard he mumbled to himself under his breath, extremely annoyed by the disorder around him. Regarding Jaden's presence, Zane looked over his new companions, and glancing around further he also spotted Alexis and Chazz entering as well, no doubt drawn by the shouting like the others were. "I see you've gained quite the entourage, Jaden." He observed, looking back to the brunette in question. "Am I correct in assuming you've made significant progress in your quest?"  
"You are." Jaden nodded, turning his head to Jesse, taking in his sheer beauty while he thought back to what he and Sheppard had told him. That he as well as Jesse were no ordinary human beings. "I found my answer. But… it's pretty complicated."

"Very well." Zane nodded, accepting Jaden's answer, seeming to have finally calmed down if only just a little. Or at least he was hiding it well enough to make it seem that way. "I won't inquire any further. Your identity doesn't concern me at this time. Now," looking back down at his brother, Zane reached out his hand, grabbing Syrus's wrist and pulling him away from Jaden and the others "we're going home, Syrus. We'll discuss your punishment when we return."

"Yes, brother…" Syrus sighed in response, sensing the incoming punishment from a mile away. If Zane had anything to say about it, which obviously he did, Syrus knew he would be more or less grounded for a long time. They probably wouldn't even let him leave his quarters without an escort if it meant keeping him from trying to pull something like this again. Nodding Zane turned his back to the group, more than ready to leave this place, taking a few steps towards the entrance with Aster and Syrus in tow. Until Sheppard stepped up again.

"Your majesty." He spoke up for a moment. "There have been events set in motion that cannot be undone. Whatever happens, it is going to happen whether you like it or not. However, because of this you must realize just how important Jaden's true identity is. One day soon, he may very well save us all."

Stopping for a moment as Sheppard spoke, Zane sighed heavily under his breath. He understood Sheppard's clairvoyance by now having known the man for years, but he had never put too much stock in it before. He didn't much believe it now for that matter. But circumstances being what they were, something about Sheppard's words struck him if only for a split second. Halting his exit for a moment, Zane acknowledged Sheppard's claim.

"Then in time, I suppose we'll see." He said, keeping his back turned to the group, he took another step forward, only to be stopped by Sheppard once more.

"And, your majesty." Sheppard spoke up one more time, turning his eyes to the young prince beside the dark king. A lighthearted smile decorating Sheppard's face despite the stern glint ever present in his eyes. "I would suggest that you keep a closer eye on your dear brother." catching glances from Jaden and the others, Sheppard knew very well his words had to have reached Zane and Aster too. There was a warning in his voice he doubted anyone in the room would be able to miss. "Nothing happened this time. But we can't be certain the next time something like this were to happen, that it would end as well."

Nodding silently, Zane released his grip on Syrus. Resuming his pace, he and Aster ushered Syrus along, determined to take him back home with relative haste. Cognizant of Sheppard's concern, though close minded to the wise old man's warning.

"Come along, Syrus."

"Goodbye, Jaden." Syrus spoke, turning back to his friend for a moment before nearly immediately being grabbed by Aster, forcing the boy to turn back towards the entrance as they walked. Shaking Aster off of him, Syrus pouted a little in response to the angry king and advisor. He hated that they always treated him like a child, but he still cared for them nonetheless. Just as he cared for the friend he was more or less being ripped away from a second time.

"See ya later, Sy." Jaden muttered quietly, sad to see his dear friend leave. The boy had put himself at a great deal of risk to come like he had. He was lucky things had worked out for him as well as they had. Had he chosen to search anywhere else, he may not have found himself in the best company. To be honest he doubted they would be so inclined as to allow the two to even see each other again after Syrus had pulled a stunt like that for Jaden's sake. It was no secret that Zane and Aster weren't the biggest fans of him before, but now he was definitely sure they would try and keep the two apart at least for a while, until whatever punishment Syrus was going to have to face ended. Noticing Jaden's dejected expression, Jesse wrapped his own arm gently around the brunette's, tilting his head slightly as Jaden turned to look him in his flawless emerald eyes.

"Hey, don't you worry about him." He comforted, not wanting Jaden to be too upset about the adorable little bluenette. "You'll see him again."

"Yeah, I know you're right…" Jaden conceded, sighing quietly for a moment he offered Jesse a gentle smile, thankful for his support. "Thanks, Jesse."

"Well Zane was awfully calm about all this." Alexis observed, only actually overhearing a small part of his outburst in comparison to the others, but enough still to recognize who it was. After all, Zane and Atticus had been good friends for a very long time. She had met him and Syrus on more than one occasion when they were younger and all of their parents were still around. It was an easier time, but one she didn't care to dwell on for too long. Getting lost in the past was never really her style anyway.

"Oh, well you clearly missed all of the yelling then." Bastion informed, recounting all of the ruckus and commotion that had drawn them out in the first place. "He was making more than a little fuss over his highness' little field trip."

"Sounds about right." Chazz scoffed, familiar with Zane's rather angry demeanor as well, having accompanied Crowler to more than one dimensional council meeting in the past.

"Now, now, that's enough, children." Sheppard more or less commanded, his melodious baritone adopting a more serious tone than before, like he had something extremely important to say. "Listen well. I meant to summon you all earlier, but then of course, we were interrupted by his majesty King Zane." Realizing what he was about to set in motion, he sighed. He knew there could be ramifications for him divulging such information, but also he knew there was no going back, and no changing what was to come. "While in my meditation in preparation for the dimensional council, I sensed a great power emanating from somewhere in the eleventh dimension. Now, I know that you've only just been made aware of your position Jaden, but it is imperative that the five of you seek out this power immediately."

"What for?" Chazz inquired, raising an eyebrow at the distinguished maester.

"Because, my boy, Yubel is searching for ways to increase her strength, so that she will be powerful enough to destroy all creation itself." Sheppard informed, not at all about to sugar coat the severity of the situation at hand. "If she gets her hands on this great strength the results could lead to potentially catastrophic events. Jaden, I'm sorry to put all of this on you so soon, but please understand. This is the burden fate chose to place on your shoulders."

"Even if I didn't understand, it's not like I'm being given a choice." Jaden answered. He wasn't too against complaining, especially with the given circumstances completely giving him grounds to, but somehow doing so just seemed unfair of him to do now. After all, Jesse had been created by the Rainbow Dragon, given _life,_ all for the purpose of helping Jaden complete his own existence defining mission. If he started complaining about the things he would have to do in order to do what he was meant to do, he felt like he would be essentially devaluing Jesse's entire reason for living in the first place, and that was the last thing Jaden wanted to do. If anything he wanted to _add_ value to Jesse's life, and improve the lives of the others around him, even if doing so meant he had to inconvenience himself and go out of his way like this. It was just what he would have to do.

"Besides, he said all _five_ of us have to go." Alexis pointed out, doing her best to hide her still slightly red and puffy eyes from the others, not wanting them to see her post-cry evidence. It was none of their business. "So looks like we're all still babysitting you."

"Aw, c'mon Alexis…" Jaden sighed, shaking his head at her statement. He never really did appreciate her saying she and the people around him were babysitting him as if he couldn't take care of himself. It was true, just about everyone was probably a better warrior than he was, especially Chazz and herself who were by far the most highly skilled and experienced in the group. But still he hated it all the same.

"Even if we didn't have to, I'd go with you, Jaden." Jesse offered a smile, reassuring the hero that not everyone thought so little of him. In fact, already he thought the world of Jaden in so many ways. Besides, even if he didn't it was still his life given purpose to assist him, so no matter what he would end up following Jaden regardless anyway.

"Thanks, Jesse."

"Pardon me, your grace." Bastion interrupted, solely focused on the minutiae of their given task as he usually was with such things. "But how might we find this power? Surely you foresaw something?"

"Indeed I have." Sheppard answered, nodding to the young Brit. "This great strength lies within the body of a young man." He explained, looking over the group to be sure they were all listening to the briefing. "The child has undergone many tortures and hardships, forced upon him to increase his physical strength against his will. And yet in spite of this, there is a purity in his heart, rare for someone in his position. And if Yubel were to get a hold of him, draining just a fraction of that boy's strength could possibly put her even closer to her goal."

"Well that's not concerning in the least." Chazz thought aloud, his words simply dripping with sarcasm. He was worried too, that much was clear, but it really was just like him to be outwardly flippant about such things wasn't it?

"Of course, she'd need more than just the strength of this child to succeed." Sheppard explained, hoping to ease their concerns even just a little before sending them on their way. "The purity of someone's heart is a powerful force, but it can only go so far. But that's no excuse not to take this seriously. And I fear she may have already sensed the child as I have.."

"Well then, we must depart at once!" Bastion exclaimed, already resigning himself to the task at hand, more than used to being told what to do and when to do it given his status as an acolyte and the daily tasks that required of him. "There's no time to waste!"

"Geez, y'know you really could stand to loosen up a little." Chazz mocked, rolling his eyes at the uptight acolyte. "It's no fun traveling with someone with a stick perpetually stuck up their ass."

"I-I beg your pardon!?" Bastion fumed, his face going red from embarrassment having such a thing said about him. Jesse chuckled quietly to himself, wrapping his arms around Jaden's left arm, clinging to the brunette as he laughed at the interaction.

Tensing for a moment at Jesse's sudden cute grip on him, Jaden blushed as well, only not as much from embarrassment as it was a warm and fuzzy feeling swiftly spreading through his body. Taking a deep breath he relaxed a little, turning and offering Jesse a soft smile while a chuckle of his own escaped the confines of his lips. He really just couldn't get over how cute Jesse was to him. He had seen plenty of beautiful people since his quest had begun, Alexis's beauty was clear as the sky was blue, and Atticus was so radiant he almost seemed to glow even in shadow. Even Chazz and Bastion were quite easy on the eyes, and Syrus was almost too adorable for words. But something about Jesse stood out to Jaden. Among all the rest, no one's beauty compared to Jesse's in Jaden's eyes. It was strange to be sure, they had only just met, and they hardly knew each other beyond what the purpose for their creations was, but despite that Jaden couldn't help but be transfixed by every aspect of him. His dainty body, his emerald eyes that sparkled beyond all compare, even the strange country bumpkin sounding accent with which he spoke. He was captivating on every level…

"Alright, children." Reeling them back in Sheppard sighed, hating that they had so little time to rest before he had to send them on such an important errand. "Now, I suggest you hurry. I fear Yubel may already be on her way to find this child. You must make certain she does not succeed."

"Well, if she does find him, then I guess we'll just have to kick her ass, now won't we?" Alexis said, reaching behind her and grabbing the hilt of her sword which remained situated on her back, more than ready to put it to use one more time.

"Are you kidding!?" Chazz responded, whipping around in her direction, he doubted she had forgotten the last time. "Did you forget what she did to you last time? And unless my memory is completely shot, Jaden couldn't be anywhere _near_ her without doubling over in pain!"

"I remember." Alexis muttered, indeed not about to forget that experience any time soon. Releasing her grip on her sword she glared back at Chazz, not even bothering to hide her slowly recovering post-cry eyes from the rest of the group anymore. "I'll never forget what she did to me. What she made me see. And that's why I want to kick her sorry ass for screwing with us like that!"

"Please, my dear." Sheppard beckoned, worried what a battle at this stage could cause them. "Challenging Yubel now would be foolish. Now that Jaden's connection to the celestial plane has been reestablished, his own celestial force should be returning to him, but he is still weak. For his sake as well as your own, you must avoid battle with her at all costs!"

"I'm sorry, your grace." Jaden spoke up, sympathizing with the man's concerns, though he thought differently. "But if what you said about this mission is true, then we may not have any other choice."

"Perhaps not…" Sheppard sighed, remembering his vision and realizing just how worthless his attempt to convince them to steer clear of her had been. She had been right there in his vision, right there toying with the young men. If he had allowed himself to see any more, Sheppard conceded the fact that he probably would have seen a battle take place. He was foolish to try and force them off the destined path. Besides, such acts were forbidden in the first place. "But in that case you must be very careful. The eleventh dimension has already fallen to Lord Viper, and there is a dark malice permeating from its core. If you're not careful, that malice will take a hold of you, you could lose yourself to it. And I don't wish to see you children harmed if it can be avoided."

"Yes, sir." Jaden nodded back, his eyes serious once more. He didn't intend on letting himself or anyone else come to harm. If there was a way to make sure everyone returned safely, Jaden was sure as hell prepared to do whatever it took to ensure it was so. "We'll be careful."

"Besides, with me on the team, there's no way Yubel will take us down either." Chazz boasted, crossing his arms while a confident smirk crawled across his face, more than sure his own skills would be enough despite how helpless he had been last time. He had always been a bit over confident, in fact that was partly why Alexis hated him so much, but even after so long it seemed that was one thing he wasn't going to grow out of any time soon no matter how many times he was proven wrong about himself.

"Yeah, because you'll probably just get captured again and then we won't have you around to screw things up for us." Alexis openly mocked, poking fun at him for having been taken hostage in his own dimension before she and Jaden had even arrived, despite his title as the greatest warrior in the entire seventh dimension. Of course she knew the minutiae of the situation and how it made sense that such a thing had happened, but honestly? She really just didn't care.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean!?" Chazz nearly shouted back at her, his voice rising while his left eye twitched in frustration of having his complete embarrassment of a capture brought up again. Glaring at the runaway princess, he honestly started to wonder why he had ever had a crush on her all those years in the first place considering all she seemed to do was yell at him and punch him in the face despite his lack of actually doing something wrong to deserve it in the moment.

"Oh I think you know what that me-"

"-That's enough, both of you!" Bastion scolded, once again breaking them up before they could start a full on argument in the middle of the great hall, already completely fed up with their squabbling and they had only gone at it twice. Although, both of those times had only been since arriving at the temple. "Now I suggest you two come to find some peace with each other, because we can ill afford to journey with two members who cannot speak civilly to one another!"

Muttering quietly to themselves, Chazz and Alexis turned away from each other, doing their best to hone in their urge to continue squabbling with one another despite just how tempting the idea was, but Bastion was right. They had more important things to worry about now than their petty little grudges. Chuckling quietly Jesse patted Jaden's shoulder, successfully gaining the beautiful brunette's attention.

"Wanna see something really cool?" He asked cheerfully, making his move before Jaden even had a chance to answer. Taking a moment he called Sapphire Pegasus from inside his soul, giving the majestic creature a pat on the back with a smile on his face. "You know what to do, pal." He said, watching proudly as the Pegasus nodded back, the mighty blue horn atop his forehead emanating a soft light, the Pegasus lowered his head to Jaden and Jesse's level. Tapping his horn against the empty air Jaden's eyes widened, watching as a radiant blue portal opened before their eyes.

"T-That's…!"

"Awesome, I know." Jesse chuckled, patting the mighty Pegasus one more time before he faded back into Jesse's soul, the portal remaining in his stead. "I know. Syrus can do it anywhere too, so it's probably not as exciting anymore. But that's the special thing about my crystal beasts. Especially Sapphire Pegasus. This should take us where we need to go, though."

"I'm not even gonna ask." Alexis dismissed, not at all about to try and explain what in the hell she was in the middle of to herself or let anyone try to tell her. "Let's just hurry before Yubel finds this kid."

"Good idea." Jaden nodded, shaking off the shock he felt when Sapphire opened the portal. It was true the novelty was starting to wear off a bit having seen it done before, but seeing it done but a freaking spiritual Pegasus only he and Jesse could see was still pretty shocking. Saying their parting words to Sheppard, Jaden couldn't help but feel uneasy about their next task. The premise was simple, just like most every other thing he had been tasked to do thus far, but something about the whole thing just felt kinda off… like something bad was going to happen… sighing quietly he let his hand wander, finding itself a place over his heart. Feeling the warmth of Winged Kuriboh sleeping within him, he started to feel better. If only slightly. Still, it was like Sheppard said. Whatever happens, it was going to happen. Whether he liked it or not.


	14. Fragility of The Heart

_**-Chapter 14-** _

Stepping through the swirling portal, the group took a moment to take in their surroundings, the new dimension one none of them had ever visited before. The city they could see in the distance was very strange looking in comparison to the villages and castle towns they were all used to. The city somewhat resembled that of the seventh dimension's capital, yet the aesthetic was far less mechanical, and more modern in design. Despite the forested area they had found themselves in now, the city as they saw seemed to be completely filled with light as well as a few skyscrapers on the skyline. It was a wondrous sight, unlike anything they had ever seen before. All was not peaceful however, from the city they could hear a commotion from the far distance, emanating from what they assumed was around the downtown area, though of course, there wasn't a way for them to be certain where it was coming from in such a large area.

"What do you think's going on down there?" Jaden asked, very curious about the chaos that seemed to be going on in the city.

"Who knows." Chazz dismissed, further observing their surroundings. Upon a closer glance, it appeared the wooded area they found themselves in rested on the edge of a small residential area which itself laid on the outskirts of the city proper. He couldn't say just how big the small glade was beyond the little area he could see in the dark of the night, despite the city lights illuminating the little space, a few lamps from the residential space aiding the light as well. They certainly weren't finding themselves in the middle of nowhere. "Let's just find this kid and be done with it. If what Sheppard said is true, then we shouldn't stay here very long. At least, not any longer than we have to."

"A novel idea, Chazz." Bastion agreed, nodding as he too observed their surroundings, making a point to position himself between Chazz and Alexis in an attempt to keep the two from arguing any more. "Though it seems that could be more difficult than anticipated. I assume the population is fairly large in a city such as this. I don't believe finding one person in a place like this would be too easy."

"Good point." Chazz conceded, though he was loath to admit the tight-ass of the group was right. He wasn't exactly fond of the brit, though to be fair he wasn't entirely fond of anyone in the group at all. If he hadn't owed Jaden and Alexis for rescuing him then he wouldn't have come along at all. But he did, so he came. It was as simple as that. Though now, having to deal with so much shit and so many other people, he was really starting to regret it. "A place this huge has to have millions of people living here. I don't see finding one person in all of that being a cake walk."

"No, probably not." Bastion nodded along, losing himself in his thoughts for a moment, wondering just how they were going to be able to complete their given task in a timely manner. Especially with Yubel out there making it that much more difficult for them to accomplish.

"I don't know…" Jesse thought aloud, looking towards the western side of the glade, once again grabbing hold of Jaden's arm, apparently making a habit of the simple gesture. "I can feel a dark energy around here… can't you feel it too, Jaden?"

"Kinda." Jaden nodded, a slight pain rising in his chest. An omen he knew could only mean one thing. "I think she might be here somewhere…"

"Of course she is." Chazz scoffed under his breath, not at all surprised that things seemed to be most assuredly working against them at each and every turn. He figured that would be the case, honestly. "I mean, why wouldn't she be? Not like that's super inconvenient for us or anything."

"Well then, let's go and track her down." Alexis commanded, removing her sword from its mount, she moved forward through the glade, not bothering to wait for the others to object to her idea. It wasn't that she condoned her reckless plan, in fact she recognized the caution the others had tried to convince her to take was the best thing to do given the circumstances. But all she wanted was to confront the fear and the misery she had been forced to face when Yubel had appeared to them before. She realized it was a foolhardy plan, but even if they failed, she would be content showing the demoness that she would not allow herself to be manipulated by her again. She had hoped getting closure from her brother would be enough for her, but it hadn't been enough to assuage her anger toward Yubel for what she had done.

"Come on, we'd better stick close to her." Jaden suggested. "Remember, Sheppard said there was a darkness here. This place is dangerous." prompting the others to follow as he did so himself, Jaden sped up to a brisk jog for a second until he joined her by her side, not wanting her to go too far without the rest of them. Turning back to be sure the others were following behind, even though they hadn't even traveled very far, he was relieved to see everyone was together. With the sense of impending doom hanging over him, Jaden couldn't help but feel better with everyone close to him. Keeping everyone as best he could in his sights, Jaden took point. Walking aimlessly through the forested park the group was silent, nary a word dared escape their lips. Somehow it was as if they could all feel the same things Jaden was feeling then, the heaviness to the air, the growing feeling of dread as they strolled on, each of them growing more cautious by the minute.

"You sure we're any closer?" Chazz inquired quietly, not daring to raise his voice any louder than a soft whisper for fear they weren't alone. "Or that we're even going the right way? I mean, who's to say they're even out here anyway? Besides, Sheppard never exactly told us what this person looks like or anything either."

"Oh will you just be quiet?" Alexis softly hissed, glaring at their resident negative-nancy for a moment before turning her eyes back to the path before them. "We'll know when we find him. Yubel's after him, remember? I'm sure even _you_ couldn't forget that so quickly."

"Yeah, yeah." Chazz dismissed, starting to get used to Alexis's insults, though still thinking they should've at least been given a few more details, though he knew there really was no use complaining about it now after they had already left. Still, he hated their general position considering their lack of information. "Whatever."

"Can you feel anything, Jesse?" Bastion asked, keeping close to the technically youngest member of their party considering he had only been alive for about a day. Raising an eyebrow in expectation he glanced to Jaden briefly as well, wondering if his senses would be as strong as Jesse's in a situation like this. "You as well, Jaden. Can you feel Yubel's presence anywhere nearby? If so we should try and avoid her if we can."

"All I can feel is that strong darkness." Jesse answered, nervously clutching at his chest as he tried to maintain his usually calm composure. Being such an overwhelmingly light based creature as he was, the strong domain of malice and despair they had found themselves in the middle of was beginning to make Jesse feel very uneasy and uncomfortable, but with the Crystal Beasts guarding him from inside his soul and Jaden and the others around as well, Jesse knew he would be alright. "It's gotta be her, but I can't tell where she is. Besides, I'm not really sure it works that way anyway.."

"Yeah, me too." Jaden agreed, turning his head back to Jesse and Bastion for a moment. He could feel the domain as well, in fact that was almost all he could feel now. Taking a few steps further, Jaden could feel a small stinging rise within his chest. Grunting quietly he stopped, his right hand clutching his shirt above the spot the sting was resonating from. Catching Jaden's distress the others stopped as well, concerned, Jesse hurried to the brunette's side, gently placing his left hand on his shoulder before he grabbed Jaden's free hand in his own as well, worried the brunette's state meant what he and most likely the others as well thought it meant.

"You alright, Jaden?" He asked, giving Jaden's hand a little squeeze of comfort his gaze worriedly darted around to the others as well, not entirely sure what to do. Turning back to Jaden he could see his face scrunch up a little in pain, his knuckles turning white from his tightly clenched fist. "Is it her?"  
"I-I think so..!" Jaden answered painfully. Taking a few deep breaths for a second, Jaden remembered the little creature Jesse had passed on to him, now sleeping in his soul. If he could awaken the little Kuriboh, supposedly he just might be able to help ease the pain. Concentrating on the little spirit's presence he felt a warmth in his chest, the sharp pain he felt inside starting to taper a little. Finally letting his body relax slightly, Jaden opened his eyes back up, taking a slow, deep breath.

_"Kuri kuri!"_

_"Thanks, little guy.."_ Jaden sighed, listening to the fur ball's cheerful voice in his head, more than happy the spirit's light was helping ease him even just a little. Turning to Jesse he nodded, signaling that he was well enough to continue on even with Yubel's nearby presence causing his cursed soul pain.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Bastion questioned, taking a step forward towards the brunette, concern still evident on his face, fully aware of his situation as far as the curse and kuriboh went, though he wasn't actually able to see the spirit guardians like the two of them could. Chazz and Alexis leaned in as well, still generally confused about most things surrounding Jaden, but still concerned all the same.

"I'll be fine." Jaden nodded, regaining his composure he quickly blushed upon the realization that Jesse was holding his hand. He hated the feelings he got around Jesse. His chest always felt tight and his heart raced a million miles a minute when the blue boy was around. He didn't understand what it meant, it was killing him inside not understanding what it was he was feeling or why he was feeling it. Quickly shaking his head, Jaden did his best to shake the feelings, after all now wasn't really the best time to be worrying about stuff like that. Regarding the rest of the group Jaden nodded once more, reassuring them that he really was alright for now. "Let's keep going. I've got a feeling she's not too far."

"That's probably a good idea, Jaden." Alexis agreed, glaring at even the thought of finding the demoness again after what had happened the last time they encountered her. If Alexis had anything to say about it, which of course she did, she was going to make Yubel pay for toying with her heart that way. Using her brother's pain and torment to hurt her, it was simply unforgivable. "Let's get out of here and find that demon bitch."

"You know, you really could stand to cool off a bit, Lex." Chazz advised, though as usual his voice was drowning in an almost dry whit and standoffish sarcastic tone that only made her angry eyes narrow more, her left eye twitching as she curled her hands into tight fists. Chazz knew more about the origins of her current emotional state than anyone else did, though he would never admit to her that he had heard her crying to her brother before about what Yubel had done to her, and how guilty she felt about what Atticus had been put through, but he also knew that it just wasn't a good idea for her to continue on angry like this. It wouldn't end well for anyone. "You're not gonna be much use against Yubel if you rush in all angry like that."

"Why can't you just shut the hell up for _once_!?" Alexis fired back, tired of even the _concept_ of Chazz as a human being in that moment. Whirling around to face the extremely pale warrior, she hated that deep down she knew he was right, but she didn't _want_ to calm down. Not until she could find the remainder of the peace of mind she desperately craved. "Yubel didn't do _anything_ to _you_! You. Crowler's perfect little _angel_! You don't know the first thing about pain! And you don't understand how angry it makes me, knowing she's still out there when she did this to me! To my _brother_!" tears of hurt and rage forming in her beautiful hazel eyes, she ignored the others around her, not giving a single care about how she must have looked and sounded to them. All she felt inside was hurt. Even with her brother's forgiveness, that was only a portion of her pain gone. But still, so much of it remained, and it was all Yubel's fault. "I can't let her do that to anyone else, I just can't! If she hurts this kid we're looking for, I'll never forgive myself! So don't tell _me_ how _I_ should be feeling right now, because you don't know a goddamn thing!"

"Alexis…?" Jaden dared speak up, reaching a hand out to her for a moment, his eyes turned to see Jesse place his hand over top his, lowering Jaden's arm slowly the bluenette silently shook his head, signaling Jaden to leave her be. They could both feel it. The domain of malice and darkness they had found themselves in was fueling her anger and despair. She wasn't in her right mind, but simply trying to calm her down wasn't going to help. Not now, anyway. Not when the pain she felt ran so deep. This anger was something she was going to need to let go of herself. For her own sake as well as the sake of the mission.

"It'll be fine, Jaden." Jesse whispered softly, giving the brunette's hand a gentle squeeze, causing Jaden's cheeks to heat up and turn pink again from his soft touch. He hadn't known her very long, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been bottling up this pain and turmoil for a long time, and with Yubel's malice surrounding them, she just couldn't keep it in any longer. "She's finally letting it out."

"I hate to break it to you, Alexis. But you're wrong." Chazz informed, doing his best not to lose his patience with her, though he could feel the darkness around them trying to creep inside, to take a hold of him the way it had her. "Maybe Yubel didn't hurt me the way she did you. But I've been tormented and hurt too." pulling the lavender colored shirt out from its place tucked beneath his deep purple sash belt, Chazz lifted the shirt up slightly, exposing a small section of his stomach for all of them to see. Decorating his paper white flesh, the others were shocked to see that his skin was decorated in more than a few scars. Locking eyes with the anguished princess, Chazz wished he wasn't telling anyone this, but he could feel deep down that the only way to help her regain herself and move on with their mission was to show her that she wasn't the only one suffering. And no one else in the group could possibly do this for her instead. He was the only one who truly understood.

"Oh my…" Bastion gasped upon seeing the warrior's scars. He'd never seen anything like it before in his peaceful life.

"See these scars?" Chazz asked, hating every second that he had to spend acknowledging them. "My _brothers_ gave them to me."

Alexis's eyes widened at the revelation. It was true she knew very little about Chazz honestly, but she had always known his home life wasn't entirely great. Everyone who knew him knew that, it was part of why Crowler viewed and treated him the way he did. But she never would have imagined it would be like that.

"They're on my back, too." He interrupted, nodding slowly at her as he lowered his shirt, tucking it back in its place. "It's not the same kind as you, but I get it." Narrowing his eyes at her, Chazz started to feel angry himself. He had almost begun to hate her the way she hated him, tired of her treating him like everything in the world was his fault, but now here they were in the middle of a serious mission and she was angry with him again for doing absolutely nothing. He knew it wasn't entirely her fault this time, but it didn't make him any less angry with her. Though, the small part of him that still had feelings for her hated seeing her this way. The gorgeous subtle glow to her face was gone now, there was nothing there but pain and hurt. He knew all too well what that was like, and he hated that she of all people was left to such a state now. "But you're not the only one suffering, and you're not the only one who wants to take that demon down a peg. If we stand around here wasting more time like this, she'll have enough time to get everything she needs before we even have a shot. It sucks, but right now you have to get your ass in gear and focus on the mission. Yelling at us isn't gonna make you feel any better, or help the mission any."

"I hate to agree, but Chazz is right." Bastion said, regaining his composure amidst the whirlwind of emotions circling the group. "You're not yourself, Alexis. You need to calm down and think clearly." sighing, Bastion glanced at the two celestial teens holding hands on the sidelines, ashamed that they were being forced to endure all of this. "The grand maester sent us here to help someone in need of a savior. Yubel's dark influence is strong here, we can all feel it by now. I know it's not what you want to hear, Alexis. But the best thing you can do right now is keep a cool head and push on." Walking over to the now trembling princess, Bastion placed a firm hand on her shoulder, hoping to offer her even a slight bit of comfort if he could, sensing her anger beginning to steadily decrease. "You feel the only way to overcome this is to thwart Yubel before she can hurt another person, correct? Well now you have a chance to try. _We_ have a chance."

"What do _you_ know?" Alexis scoffed, shoving the Brit away from her, the force of her push nearly knocking Bastion off of his feet as he stumbled back, underestimating just how physically strong the girl really was despite what her slim form would otherwise suggest. "You know less about suffering and turmoil than anyone else here." Glaring at Bastion for a moment, Alexis turned her back to him, doing her best to cool down, yet still some anger lingered. "Who are you to speak on it?"

"Someone who considers himself your friend, and wants to help you overcome this personal trial." Bastion asserted, sad to see just how hurt she was, and how difficult it seemed to be for her to think about anything else. She was letting herself be consumed by her hurt, and it was painful for them to watch. "Not only for the sake of this child, but for your own as well." Placing a hand back on Alexis's shoulder, Bastion could feel her slightly trembling, sad to see a small tear fall from her eyes.

"She okay..?" Chazz asked, catching a glance of her state as well. he had seen her cry before, not that he would ever tell her that. But there was something different about it this time. She wasn't crying out of relief or happiness this time. This time, her tears were heavy with a different weight. Even with her brother's forgiveness, she was still hurting. But the weight she held now wasn't guilt anymore. Now, what she held within her was hate.

"She will be." Jesse answered, starting to feel the darkness surrounding her begin to lift. "Let her have a minute."

 _"Hopefully we can still find that kid before Yubel..."_ Jaden thought, worried about the time they had spent just standing around, but at the same time he was glad Alexis seemed to be starting to feel a little better. They were just going to have to be even faster when they got moving again.

"I-It's her fault..!" Alexis cried, narrowing her tearful eyes as she tried to hold back her tears, wanting nothing more than to get back to their mission, but she just couldn't stop crying. "My brother...! S-She hurt my brother...!"

"What do you mean, Alexis...?" Jaden questioned, raising an eyebrow at her in complete confusion. He was there with her, he saw the state Atticus had been in, and as far as he could remember, Yubel hadn't been anywhere near any of that. "I thought Tantalus kidnapped your brother..?"

"Yubel told me everything! It's her fault, she gave them the power to do it!" She shouted, taking deep breaths she managed to get her tears to stop, but her anger still lingered on. Only now, she seemed to be in complete control of herself again. A more than ideal situation in comparison to how it was before. "I hate her! I won't let her do that to anyone else!"

"I told you, Alexis, that's not going to happen." Jaden reiterated, taking a step closer to the blonde, glad to see her doing her best to calm down. Taking more deep breaths, she wiped the lingering tears from her eyes, locking her gaze with Jaden's, more serious than she had probably ever been. "We're not gonna let her hurt anyone else. And if that's really true about your brother... than we won't let her just get away with that either. I _promise_."

"Thank you, Jaden." Alexis sighed, beginning to feel ashamed of herself for acting out the way she had, but at least she was beginning to feel a little bit better now that she had vented it out a bit. But she still felt angry, as well as bad for wasting so much time. Her turmoil was deep, but she had begun to lose sight of her reason. It was just as Sheppard said. "I'm sorry… I heard Sheppard's warning, and I still let myself get caught up in my anger. But she hurt my brother..."

"It's alright, Alexis." Jaden offered as well, smiling gently at the emotional princess. He'd seen her let her emotions take control before, and he understood how hard she tried to keep herself in check. But in the end, she lost herself to her feelings because she held too much love for the people around her. Deep down, she simply cared too much. But even though her body and mind were strong as steel, her heart had grown fragile. And Yubel certainly hadn't helped any. "You're hurting, you haven't done anything wrong. And like I said, I promise we're not gonna let Yubel get away with _any_ of this."

"Thank you." She nodded, grateful for all of their words. Even Chazz, whom she still held a deep resentment for. She felt awful knowing that he had clearly been abused for quite some time by his own brothers, but still she couldn't allow herself to let go of her hatred for him. At least not completely. "Let's just go, okay? I don't like it here…"

"I agree…" Jesse responded, wrapping his arms securely around Jaden's own, glad Alexis had snapped out of it before the malice took a tighter hold on her, but the uncomfortable feeling he had had since the moment they arrived in the eleventh dimension was only beginning to grow the longer they stayed, and he hated every second of it. "We need to hurry before Yubel makes her move."

"Jesse's right." Jaden nodded, starting to worry even more too, seeing what this place had nearly done to Alexis. The last thing he wanted was to stay any longer than they had to. Not with Jesse there. If anything happened to the blue boy, Jaden wasn't sure he would know how to handle it, as strange as he thought it was for him to feel that way having only known Jesse for as short a time as he had. But the moment they met, something changed in Jaden. He couldn't figure what in the world it could be, but it made his heart flutter every time he looked at the bluenette. The last thing he wanted was to see Jesse, or any of his friends for that matter harmed. They needed to hurry and complete their mission as quickly as possible, if only for everyone's peace of mind. "We've gotta hurry before-"

Before Jaden could speak another word the group froze. Standing there in the wooded glade separating the city from more or less the slums more so than suburbs, a scream ripped through the near silence around them. Swiftly glancing every which way they tried to pinpoint where it had come from, the sounds of the city in the distance making it difficult to discern which direction was the right one, but it was more than obvious to the children that something was very wrong here.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble!" Alexis exclaimed, starting to worry that it could be the person they were supposed to be looking for, and with Yubel clearly on the prowl somewhere near, it seemed to be more than likely in her mind that that was probably the case. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Right." Chazz nodded, actually agreeing with her for the first time in probably both of their lives. Honesty, he wanted to object, in all seriousness, not too thrilled about the idea of facing Yubel again after what she had done the last time. Alexis and Jaden had been left completely debilitated, and Chazz found himself helpless to do a thing even though he was more than prepared for a fight. But right now, he knew arguing was going to get them nowhere, that much they had certainly just seen. And on top of that, he also just didn't want to listen to Bastion scold them again like he was their mother or something. Besides, she was right anyway and they all knew it. Nodding to each other once more the group turned forward, about ninety percent sure if they just kept going they would find where they needed to go.

Without realizing he was even doing it, Jaden wrapped his hand tightly around Jesse's own as the bluenette had still had a grip on him. He immediately turned and ran in the general direction the cry had come from, pulling Jesse along with him. Taking off as quickly as they could after the two celestial children, the rest of the group ran through the glade behind them, listening carefully for anything indicative of a struggle or any trace of Yubel that could be possibly percepted along the way. As they ran, the cool breeze that had been blowing around them began to pick up, the branches of the trees blowing wildly, the noise of the rustling leaves starting to drown out almost every other sound around them, making it even more difficult to listen for any clues.

" _Dammit!"_ Jaden thought, trying to concentrate as he forged ahead he felt the pain still left in his chest pulse, causing an involuntary grunt to escape his lips, visibly cringing at the feeling that assaulted him. But at the same time he didn't mind at the moment. After all, it meant they were closing in on Yubel's location. Panting as he struggled to keep his speed up to his top level he listened as another cry pierced the night. This one was different, however. He could tell the two voices were distinctly different from one another, and yet, two different voices made the situation even worse. There were _two_ in need of aid now.


	15. Purity of The Heart

_**-Chapter 15-** _

"I believe I see a clearing up ahead!" Bastion informed, pointing at what appeared to be a break in the trees ahead of them. Adding further weight to his assumption as well as the situation at hand, an ear-splitting cackle ripped through the air around them, the entire party knew what it meant, and it wasn't anything good.

"Damn!" Jaden shouted in mild frustration, determined to stop her before anyone got hurt or manipulated like last time, especially after seeing how greatly the experience had shaken poor Alexis. Besides, he promised her they wouldn't let Yubel hurt anyone else, and he'd be damned if he broke that promise. Realizing finally that he was holding Jesse's hand, Jaden gave the delicate hand a small squeeze, feeling somehow comforted by the warmth of Jesse's soft, flawless skin. Sprinting a few more steps the group burst out into what would indeed classify as a small clearing, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw the scene.

"M-My goodness!" Bastion gasped. There in the clearing before them two young men were sprawled out on the ground, Yubel hovering over them. Beside the oldest looking one a rather large looking crocodile growled angrily at Yubel, protecting her companion as he laid on his side unconscious in the grass, a pained expression lingering on his face. A few feet away, the other, significantly more muscular young man struggled to pick himself up off of the ground, his left hand clutching at the bandages covering his stomach while he tried pushing himself back up with his right arm. Laughing to herself for a quick moment, Yubel caught a glimpse of Jaden and his party out of the corner of her eye. Glaring deeply she shot her gaze in their direction, furious that they had come to interrupt her plans.

"You!" She boomed, the wind picking up around her as her fury swelled, a pitch black aura emanating from her body.

"Yubel!" Jaden shouted back, narrowing his own eyes back at her, an anger of his own beginning to rise seeing her attack innocent bystanders. And judging from the fact she was attacking them at all, the younger looking of the two new faces had to be the one Sheppard had been talking about. The one they were supposed to find and protect from her. "It's over! We've come to stop you!"

"And how precisely do you expect to do that?" Yubel mocked, her deep hatred only continuing to grow stronger and stronger by the minute. "You couldn't defeat me even _with_ your full strength! And now by absorbing the power in this child's heart, I'll be even more powerful!"

"J-Jim..!" The boy grunted, turning to his unconscious companion, worried that he could actually be hurt. And after all the scientist had done for him, making himself an enemy of the military by breaking him out of their scientific testing facility and smuggling him out of the city. If Jim had been hurt, he would never forgive himself. Pulling himself up to his feet he hurried to Jim's side, hoping to the celestials above that he was okay.

"Jaden, they need help!" Jesse stated worriedly, tugging on Jaden's sleeve his eyes lost a little bit of their sparkle to the worry rising within them. "We have to stop her!"

"Oh, now what's this?" Yubel chuckled, amused by the pathetic display before her. "This one saves you once, and already you're in love?" Chuckling maniacally to herself she couldn't help but laugh, even more amused by the thought of the Neo Spacians creating a warrior so soft and pathetic.

"W-What!?" Jaden blushed, not at all expecting her to say anything at all like that. Quickly shaking his head, Jaden refused to let her get to him right now. The stinging pain in his chest was already too much, and the anger he held knowing what she had put Alexis through only made him more determined to stop her.

"Enough of this already." She commanded, already tired of talking. Glancing back down at the child below she watched as he pitifully made an attempt to wake his friend while Chazz and Bastion hurried themselves to their side, planning on helping if they could. Frowning deeply, Yubel raised her demonic arm as a black mist formed around the muscular child, lifting him effortlessly into the air he struggled against her dark powers as she pulled him closer, aiming to drain as much power as she could from him. The darkness emanating from her transferring slightly to him, she felt his strength slowly leaving him as it made its way to her.

"Hey! Let him go!" Alexis shouted, gripping the hilt of her blade as she drew it from her back, her eyes narrowing with anger, she lunged forwards, not about to let Yubel get her way. Not again. Hurling herself at the demon, Alexis thrusted her blade towards Yubel, only to have her sword deflected by a wall of dark mist rising up around the demoness while she cackled at Alexis's failure.

"Pathetic." She chuckled, dismissing Alexis's attack like it was nothing at all, the blonde failing to land a single blow in that moment. "No mortal's blade can harm me, little girl." glaring at the princess, Yubel thrusted the wall of shadows her way, slamming into the blonde girl and throwing her down to the ground beneath them. "I should have known. It was so easy to toy with your heart and mind, I should have known you would be weak." Chuckling quietly, Yubel mocked the princess further. "After all that running and trying _so_ hard to temper yourself, you've gotten nowhere. You're pathetic, little princess."

"You hurt my brother!" Alexis shouted, propping herself up with her elbows as she turned an angry glare at Yubel. "You're going pay for that!"

"Alexis!" Jesse called, tearing away from Jaden, he hurried over to the downed princess.

"Jesse, wait!" Jaden called after him, reaching his hand out for the blue boy as he ran over to Alexis. Sighing quietly, Jaden shook his head, quickly giving chase to rejoin Jesse before Yubel could try anything on the bluenette.

Turning her attention back to the struggling boy, Yubel reached her evil and twisted arm towards him, wrapping her claws around his thick neck she could feel his remaining strength rushing through him, unnatural for any normal human being to possess.

"I'll be taking what belongs to me."

"Nothing here belongs to _you_!" Jesse shouted, offering his help to Alexis. Assisting her back to her feet from where she had fallen, he glared at the demoness. Pulling his deck from his pocket, Jesse pulled a card from the top. Beckoning the card come to life, an iridescent glow took over his body. "Topaz Tiger!" he shouted louder, swinging his arm out he threw the card out into the clearing, the divine beast materializing on the field around them. "You know what to do!"

"What?" Yubel questioned, raising her eyebrow she saw the divine beast bare his fangs at her. Growling loudly he pounced at her, clawing at the demon, he managed to break through the misty barrier, clamping his fangs down on her arm she released her grip on the boy's neck. Her mist fading as her concentration broke, dropping him back down onto the ground. "Enough!" She shouted angrily, ripping the tiger off of her she threw the beast aside. Slamming into the side of one of the trees lining the clearing the beast disappeared, returning to Jesse's deck to recover from the blow with his time on the field run out.

"Topaz!" Jesse shouted, worried about his fallen creature. Feeling a breeze pass his left he turned to see Alexis rush by him and Jaden, hurrying to the downed boy's side.

"Hey! Hey, you okay?" She asked, hooking his arm over her shoulder she did her best to help him stand, knowing the best thing to do at the moment would be getting him away from Yubel as quickly as possible. "C'mon, answer me, kiddo.."

"I-I'm alright…" he insisted, leaning on her only a little for support. He was a bit winded but otherwise okay at the moment. But he definitely appreciated the help all the same. "Thanks.."

"No problem." Alexis answered back, Jaden and Jesse rushing over to distract Yubel while she got him to safety. "What's your name?"

"Hassleberry, ma'am..." He answered, catching a glimpse of Jim still unconscious in the care of Chazz and Bastion, Shirley watching the two handling her precious Jim like a hawk, unwilling to let her friend out of her sight despite her overwhelming urge to take her own bite out of Yubel for harming him. But at the same time she didn't dare leave his side.

"Yeah? Well, it's nice to meet you." Alexis nodded, keeping vigilant she brought him to the edge of the clearing, sitting him down beside one of the many trees surrounding them. "We're here to get you out of this, okay? Yubel wants your strength, so stay away from her while we take care of things. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Hassleberry nodded back to her, not about to argue with someone wielding a sword as big as hers was. Besides, considering what little of Yubel he had experienced, he wasn't too keen on getting anywhere close to her any time soon. "Is Jim okay?" He asked, turning back to look at his friend. "She got him pretty good earlier. Slammed him into that tree pretty hard.."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Alexis answered, hoping that wouldn't end up being a lie. "My companions will take care of him." Reclaiming her sword, she took a deep breath, preparing herself to rejoin the confrontation. Glancing slightly back at Hassleberry, she frowned, sensing his intentions. "Stay here. Stay out of her sight." She commanded, giving herself one last moment of mental preparation. "If I catch you moving from this spot, I will personally kick your ass." not even giving him a chance to respond she charged forwards back into the fray, Yubel was starting to lose what little patience remained within her demonic husk.

"I've had enough of your meddling!" She shouted, terribly frustrated with Jaden's very existence, much less his meddling in her affairs. If she had her way, he never would have come back after she completely obliterated him all that time ago, and even then if she had her way she never would have been sealed away in the first place. But of course she never could get what she wanted, now could she? Catching some movement out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bastion and Chazz tending to Jim, Shirley on the defense as well as she refused to allow any more harm to come to her precious human. Catching Yubel's eyes on them as well, Chazz growled at her, returning to his feet he drew his blade, more than ready to defend the others from her wrath like he hadn't had the chance to do the first time when he was the only one who could even stand. Placing himself beside Shirley, he blocked the slowly waking Jim as well as Bastion from her view, refusing to let them come to harm on his watch.

"Chazz, don't!" Bastion cautioned, glancing back down at Jim as his only visible eye cracked open, a quiet groan exiting his lips. "You mustn't provoke her!"

"Well, then she shouldn't have provoked _us_!" Chazz spat back, narrowing his eyes further at the demonic bitch before them, a deep anger starting to overcome him.

"Well now, aren't you a feisty one?" Yubel chuckled darkly, narrowing her eyes again she turned to Jaden, her deep desire to make him suffer raising exponentially as he entered her field of vision again, her hatred even stronger than any of them would have thought possible. "Maybe destroying him will teach you your place. You seem to have missed the point when I killed _you._ " Laughing maniacally, she manifested a pitch black sphere within her hands, the power it radiated nearly distorting the entire upper half of her body. Widening his eyes, Jaden felt his entire body tense with fear for the safety of his companions.

"Wait!" He shouted, reaching out to his friends, but before he could even move an inch she fired, the dark sphere hurling towards them, breaking apart into hundreds of dark magic projectiles. "Watch out!"

Seeing the incoming onslaught, Chazz raised his sword, holding it in front of his face as a sort of makeshift shield he braced for the impact, not having the time to call any of the creatures from his deck for protection. Hearing a shuffling behind him, with all the haste in his body Bastion whipped out his staff, directing it towards Chazz, he did the only thing he could think of to mitigate the damage.

"Shell!" He cried, a spherical red barrier extended outwards, shielding himself, Jim, and Shirley as well before the massive barrier extended out to protect Chazz from the brunt of the blast. Keeping the spell up as best he could, Bastion braced for the blow, finally reaching the barrier. While some of the dark power was deflected, some managed to still find their way through the spell. Raining down on the children Chazz cried out, an almost burning sensation shooting through his body as the few projectiles that made it through assailed his body, blocking as many of them from hitting the others as he could. Unable to stand it any longer, Chazz dropped to his knees, stabbing his blade into the ground he held tight to it, determined not to fall any further.

"D-dammit…" Chazz choked out, his body trembling from the burning pain assailing his thin frame. He'd been injured more than once in battle, but always from another physical weapon, and he'd never experienced such a deep pain all over his entire body before. Especially as there were hardly any actual wounds on him from what he could tell. But looking down at his slightly exposed chest, where one of the projectiles had made contact with his skin, three long claw marks had begun to form, small droplets of blood beginning to seep through the slightly broken skin. His eyes widening for a moment; he was thankful for Bastion's spell. It had weakened the magical assault if only just a little, but if it had been at its full strength, the damage to his body would have been exponentially more severe.

"Chazz!" Bastion shouted, struggling to maintain his hold on the barrier any longer, one of the projectiles made its way past Chazz, shooting directly into Bastion's shoulder. Crying out from the pain, the Brit fell backwards, losing his hold on the spell as his body collided with the ground. With Bastion's powers gone the barrier disappeared, the last remnants of Yubel's attack raining down on them for only another second before it was over.

"No!" Alexis cried, rushing to their aid as fast as she possibly could. Hardly able to take his eyes away from the scene, Jaden couldn't believe what he had just watched. He couldn't bring himself to do anything at all, like his legs were frozen, and no matter how badly he wanted to they just wouldn't move. Feeling an anger grow in his heart he narrowed his eyes, turning to Yubel as quickly as he could manage.

"You monster!" He shouted, furious that she would dare harm his companions after all that she had done before. "Your fight is with _me_! Not them!"

"Indeed." Yubel replied, frustrated her attack hadn't been as destructive as she wanted, but she was still happy to see it had done at least a little damage to his idiot friends. Watching their pained bodies tremble and struggle, and Alexis's frantic and pitiful attempts to assist them was like watching art to Yubel. She enjoyed every blissful second of their pain, but Jaden was correct. "Maybe it's time I reminded you what _real_ pain is like!" forming another, much smaller black sphere in her hands she launched it at Jaden. Pulling out his deck in defense, Jaden made ready to draw, the red glow already beginning to overtake his body as he held the cards in his hand, ready to make his move. But standing by, Jesse looked on, catching a detail Jaden hadn't.

" _That attack is faster than he is!"_ Jesse thought, gasping as his body leaped into action before he could even begin to think of any other plan. Hurling himself at Jaden, Jesse braced himself for what was to come.

"Jaden, watch out!"

Shoving the brunette aside, Jaden could feel the entire world around him slow down. Turning to the bluenette, Jaden's eyes widened as far as they possibly could as Yubel's attack made contact with Jesse's form. A deep red and purple electricity surged around his body as a heart-wrenching cry escaped his lips. The onslaught only lasted for about three seconds in actuality, but for Jaden it felt more like three hours. Reaching his hand out to the bluenette, he watched Jesse's eyes slowly close as the energy drained from his fragile form, unable to withstand the shock as it was meant for Jaden's admittedly much sturdier body.

"Jesse!" Jaden cried back. Practically diving to catch Jesse as his consciousness faded, unable to support himself anymore. Wrapping his arms desperately around Jesse's limp form, he clung to him with all of his might. Sinking down to his knees, Jaden could feel tears beginning to form in his impossibly wide eyes, in complete shock over what had just happened. Holding Jesse close, Jaden pressed his left hand to the side of Jesse's head, holding the unconscious boy's head against his chest the moment replaying again in his mind, his heart overflowing with emotions he couldn't understand. He could hear Jesse's quiet and haggard breath somehow over the pounding of his own heart, but he just couldn't believe he had allowed such a thing to happen.

"Jesse…"

Tears making their way fully out of his eyes, Jaden screwed them shut, a deep guilt and anguish overwhelming his heart all Jaden could do was scream. His agonized, guttural scream tore itself from his throat as tears streamed down his face. He couldn't understand just why, but the anger inside of him graduated to hatred. His desire to defeat Yubel elevated exponentially, he just couldn't understand this strange surge of unknown emotions. As his emotional wails filled the air around him, his body shined brighter than it ever had before. A wind kicking up around him along with a column of white light that shot down, covering the two celestial children.

"What is this!?" Yubel demanded to know, baffled by what was happening in front of her. "He shouldn't be able to do that!"

The wind around them gusting on another moment, the pillar of light slowly faded away. In its place, a mighty creature appeared. Strong and proud, the pressure around the entire field seemed to lighten in his presence, guarding the two celestial children no one dared look away. Widening her eyes Yubel felt an ounce of fear enter her black soul. Backing away as she stared in shock.

"N-Neos!" She gasped, hardly able to believe Jaden had managed to summon a _god_ of all things. "No!"

"Neos?" Hassleberry asked, rising from his hiding place, fairly sure Alexis wouldn't beat him up for moving given the circumstance. Everyone stared silently, hardly able to believe their eyes, after all they were in the holy presence of the most powerful celestial himself.

_"Come, Jaden."_

Throwing his head up Jaden stared at Neos, the god's booming voice echoing inside his head, just like the voice he had heard in his dreams all that time ago. Holding Jesse's unconscious form close Jaden felt the tears continue to fall from his eyes, hardly sure why he had been crying so hard in the first place.

_"This is no time for tears."_

Nodding to the celestial creature, Jaden wiped his eyes dry, his tears staining the red fabric of his glove-lets but he couldn't care less about that at the moment. Gently laying Jesse down in the grass Jaden stood, drawn towards Neos the god touched the boy's shoulder, the bright light emanating from Neos enveloping Jaden's body as he directed his attention back to Yubel, who had since begun to more of less cower at the sight of her former celestial compatriot.

"Yubel!" Jaden shouted, his voice echoing through the clearing as if Neos' voice had combined with his own, booming like a clap of thunder around them. Raising his hand towards her Jaden glared, feeling Neos' power begin to surge through him, like he was being used as a conduit for the great celestial's strength. "Return to the void whence you came!" Neos' power surging through Jaden's body combining with his own spiritual force, a beam of pure white energy shot from the brunette's palm, hurling towards Yubel the demoness cried out as the beam pierced her dark aura, Neos and Jaden's pure light burning her demonic body. Screaming in agony, her high pitched screams pierced the night around them. Pushing her back away from the party, Neos threw out his free arm, using his untapped powers he opened a portal behind her, channeling more power through Jaden the beam tossed her further, her agonized screams fading as her body was forced through the opened rift.

"Jaden!" Alexis shouted over the roaring winds around them, more than a little concerned for his well being having his body used in such a way. Sensing the girl's concern Neos took his hand away from Jaden, the beam of light shooting from his palm disappearing almost immediately, Jaden felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, dropping down to his knees he panted and wheezed, trying to let his body recover from the strain of the extended attack.

 _"Rest, my child."_ Neos spoke, only Jaden hearing the celestials' words. _"Your celestial power has been reawakened, thus you were able to call me here. You must push onward, child. Soon it will be time for you to end it."_

Staring silently up at the celestial, Jaden couldn't bring himself to move. His eyes widened he shifted only as Alexis scurried over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders as she dropped to her knees beside him, shaking his thin frame to try and rouse a response from him. Offering a silent nod to his creation, Neos slowly faded back into the astral plane, his body flickering away into tiny particles of light flying up into the night sky above them to rejoin the stars. Hardly able to believe what had just happened Jaden blinked rapidly, shivering for a moment as Alexis's voice finally reached him, as if he had been broken out of a trance.

"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly, concerned the slight merge with Neos could've put him through too much strain, and with the others in shambles too she really hoped the brunette was alright. Glancing around her surroundings she was relieved to see the others approach as well, Bastion supporting a half-woken Jim as best he could while Chazz stumbled forwards behind them, his sword hanging limply in his right hand as his left clutched his side, still feeling the burning pain from Yubel's assault though it had begun to dull slightly. Hassleberry swiftly joined them as well, unharmed by the look of him much to her relief.

"Fine.." Jaden nodded back to her, only feeling a little sore from the onslaught of power that had just propelled itself into his body, as well as feeling extremely emotionally drained. Remembering what had befallen Jesse, Jaden's eyes widened, whipping his body around he practically crawled back to the fallen bluenette, scooping him back into his arms. "But Jesse.."

"He's still breathing, at least." Bastion observed, passing Jim over to Hassleberry before stepping forward, kneeling down beside the two boys. A deep guilt of his own washing over him seeing Jesse in such a state. "He should be alright, but I am certainly not a proper medical authority. We should get him back to the temple posthaste. Ourselves as well."

"Right.." Jaden sighed, still very upset by the events that had transpired there. From Alexis's partial breakdown, to his own partial merge with Neos. It was a chilling experience to say the least. So much power coursing through his veins, power Neos was using him to channel into a proper weapon against Yubel. Thinking about in over and over, Yubel's pained screams still sounded in his mind. They haunted him, hating every single second they lingered, yet at the same time he couldn't help but think about it. She had done terrible things to humanity, and even his close friends. And he hated her for that, he did, but something about the experience or hurting her like that... it didn't sit right with Jaden.

"Sorry to ask but… what temple…?" Hassleberry inquired, raising an eyebrow at the strangers around him as he did his best to help support Jim, Shirley sticking as close to the one-eyed man as she possibly could, determined to protect him even from these kids if she deemed it necessary. "What's goin' on?"

"The temple of the Rainbow Dragon, in the fourth dimension." Bastion explained, standing from his spot beside Jaden and Jesse as he turned back to the muscular boy. "We were sent by Grand Maester Sheppard to retrieve you, so that you wouldn't fall victim to that demoness. Although, we had a slight… delay in our travels. And it seems we were a little late."

"Sorry..." Alexis sighed, bowing to the two as a show of her regret and respect, feeling awful for what had happened here. "We would have gotten here sooner if it weren't for me.."

"Don't worry about that, miss." Jim said, shaking his head for a moment he offered her a gentle smile, appreciative of her apology nonetheless. "We're all still on one piece, that's what matters. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"Come on… l-let's get going already…!" Chazz choked out, hissing as he inhaled sharply as the burning sensation surged for a moment before fading back away. Screwing his eyes shut for a moment he managed to pull himself together, putting his sword back in its place on his belt. "T-This sucks…!"

"Oh boohoo." Alexis mocked, though seeing him in such a pitiful state she couldn't help but feel bad for being rude. Of course, he did have a point. Patting Jaden gently on the back she wished there was something she could do to make him feel any better about Jesse. "C'mon, kiddo. Time to go." earning herself a nod from the brunette she sighed, standing back to her full height she looked around at the group before her. Nearly everyone had been hurt in one way or another, it was painful for her to see, even Chazz who she couldn't hardly even stand made her worried, especially with the bombshell he had been made to drop on them to snap her out of her rage. If she could she would have healed them all right then and there, but that was something she just could not accomplish. Hardly able to believe she had seen half of the things she and the others had seen during that time, she couldn't even imagine what Jaden had to be going through emotionally right now, or what kind of thoughts could be going through his mind. She only hoped that whatever it was, he would be able to get through it. And that he wouldn't end up consumed by it like she had.


	16. Confessions of The Heart

_**-Chapter 16-** _

The group had made a hasty return to the fourth dimension, practically in shambles. Much to Bastion's insisting that he should do it having been tasked to care for him, Jaden carried Jesse on his back. Doing his best to keep the crystal boy secure, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Jesse was alright, but he had taken an attack that was meant for Jaden, and so he felt guilty beyond all reason. It would have been easier for Bastion to carry him, even with his wounded shoulder, after all he was much stronger than Jaden was physically, but in all honesty, he couldn't bear to see anyone else lay a hand on the elegant bluenette. Besides, he already shouldered the weight of his guilt, he figured he might as well shoulder Jesse's weight too. Hassleberry and Bastion doing their part to support Jim and Chazz as well as each other, the group returned to the temple, greeted by Sheppard, who upon seeing the team's state ordered they all be taken to the medical wing of the grand temple to be taken care of. Most of their injuries were fairly mild, only a few cuts and bruises, though apart from Jesse, Chazz had taken the brunt of Yubel's power, suffering dozens of supernatural cuts across his body, the healers did their best to bandage him up. Assuring him that the dull burning pain would only last a short while longer, though taking note of the old scars they saw. But with Jesse unconscious, Jaden found that he honestly couldn't care less about hardly anything else. Sitting by his bedside, Jaden gently held Jesse's hand in both his own, doing his best to sort out his thoughts and somehow try to curb his worries even just a little.

"I'm sorry, Jesse…" Jaden sighed heavily, lowering his head, he couldn't bear to look at Jesse anymore. Not like this. "If I had just been paying attention… I could've gotten out of the way and you wouldn't've had to get hurt saving my dumb ass…" letting his eyes fall shut he gave Jesse's hand a gentle squeeze, finding himself terribly upset and confused all at once. He didn't know what to feel anymore. "But they said you're gonna be okay. You just gotta wake up, okay? If you didn't… honestly, I'm not sure what I'd do…"

" _Dammit."_ He thought, shaking his head he tried to make his feelings go away. All the guilt, the worry, the butterflies in his stomach whenever he laid his eyes on Jesse. All those annoying feelings he just didn't understand. But no matter how hard he tried, they just kept sticking around. " _I just don't understand… why can't I just feel normal around you, Jesse…?"_

" _Kuri Kuri…"_

Sighing quietly one more time Jaden looked over to the little spirit as he appeared beside the brunette, feeling terrible for his distressed master. Giving the kuriboh a pat on the head Jaden really just didn't know what to do, like no matter what he thought of nothing made him feel like it was the right answer.

"Aw man… I don't know what's wrong with me, Winged Kuriboh…" Jaden tried to explain, honestly at a complete loss. "I'm always like this around him, I mean… ever since I first met Jesse I haven't been able to look at him without staring or feeling all weird and nervous." sighing, he gave Jesse's hand another squeeze, just doing the best he could to figure all of this out. "And every time he grabs my arm or touches my shoulder, I get all stiff and awkward. I didn't really let it bother me before, but when Yubel… when he took that attack for me I… I just couldn't take it. I mean, how am I supposed to fight her all confused and lost like this?" sighing heavily one more time he rested his head on the side of Jesse's bed, practically face planting into the mattress, he tried to just think.

" _Kuri.."_

"Do I…? But I don't even…" Thinking aloud to himself, Jaden remembered what Yubel had said before the battle. He was loath to listen to someone so awful and twisted, but part of him couldn't help but wonder..

* * *

_"Hey, they need help!" Jesse stated worriedly, tugging on Jaden's sleeve his eyes lost a little bit of their sparkle to the worry raising within them. "We have to stop her!"_

_"Oh, now what's this?" Yubel chuckled, amused by the pathetic display before her. "This one saves you once, and already you're in love?" Chuckling maniacally to herself she couldn't help but laugh, even more amused by the thought of the Neo Spacians creating a warrior so soft and pathetic._

_"W-What!?" Jaden blushed, not at all expecting her to say anything at all like that. Quickly shaking his head Jaden refused to let her get to him right now. The stinging pain in his chest was already too much, and the anger he held knowing what she had put Alexis through only made him more determined to stop her._

* * *

"She couldn't be right… she couldn't possibly know!" Jaden declared, shooting back up into his former sitting position his eyes widened for a second, softening when he saw Jesse's peaceful face, the bluenette's hand twitching for a second he squeezed Jaden's hand as he slept. The butterflies returning to his stomach, Jaden realized the rising urge within him to kiss Jesse like he was a princess in a fairy tale. "Do I… have feelings for him…?"

* * *

"I wanna thank you folks again for what you did back there." Jim said, giving Shirley a pat on the back as he and the others sat in the guest quarters, waiting for any news about Jesse. "I can't help but think Hassleberry and I would've been killed if you hadn't showed up."

"Yeah…" Hassleberry agreed, starting to feel really guilty about everything that had happened since Jim decided to try and break him out of the military testing facility. "I'm real sorry your friend got hurt.."

"Don't you worry, my boy. Our Jesse is going to be just fine." Sheppard reassured, patting the muscular boy's shoulder. The man should have been on his way to the dimensional council already, but when the children returned in such a state and with Jesse unconscious, he simply couldn't leave them. Not until he was certain the children were alright. "I'm just glad none of you were seriously injured…"

"Right…" Alexis sighed, thinking back on what a disaster the battle had been on top of trying to ignore her outburst before it. If Jaden hadn't pulled off such a miracle, she worried there really would've been nothing they could have done. But she took solace in the fact that they were all safe and sound. "But what do we do now? I mean, how are we supposed to move on from here?"

"Well, I suppose that will be up to Jaden." Sheppard mused, doing his best to offer what wisdom he could without breaking his sacred oath. As badly as he wanted to, he wasn't allowed to divulge the future, lest something be done to alter history's intended course, as frustrating of an oath as it was. "But one thing is for certain. Since Jaden was able to invoke the power to summon Neos, I'd say that proves he's strong enough to have a fighting chance against Yubel when next they meet."

"Pardon me, sir." Jim spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the grand maester, he glanced at Hassleberry for a second, noting the confused expression on the boys face, both of them feeling grossly uninformed at that point. "I appreciate you lot showin' up and saving us when you did, I know we both do. But if you don't mind me asking, just what the hell is goin' on? Who are you people anyway?"

"Our apologies." Bastion said, stepping forward from his spot in the corner, sulking about his failure to protect Jesse like he had been tasked to do. Joining the conversation proper, Bastion offered the two a slight bow, resuming his usual overly proper and polite demeanor. "But I'm sure you can understand. Given the circumstances, there wasn't time for introductions. My name is Bastion Misawa, I'm an acolyte in this temple." looking the two in the eyes he gestured to the others as he continued with the introductions. "This is Chazz Princeton, the seventh dimension's champion. And she-"

"-Alexis." She interrupted, stepping forward she spoke up before Bastion could drop the princess bit. Realizing she had only told Jaden not to go spreading that part around she figured if she didn't step in Bastion would have said something and she would have to deal with the annoying aftermath, which was more or less why she didn't want people to know if they didn't already know who she was. It would just be tiresome. "Alexis Rhodes. Sorry you guys had to go through that. I'm sure you've had enough shit to deal with without all this."

"You can say that again…" Hassleberry muttered under his breath, slowly raising his hand to the bandages around his stomach, thinking back to the time he had spent as a military lab rat before Jim came along and finally stepped in.

"Well now, don't worry about it, miss." Jim shook his head, offering a gentle smile to the considerate young lady. Tipping his hat to her as a show of gentlemanly respect, he patted Hassleberry on the shoulder for a moment, knowing full well just how tough the last two years had been for him. "Anyway, as you already know, I'm Jim. Jim Cook." patting the crocodile relaxing on the bed beside him, Jim chuckled, looking far happier with her than any of the actual humans in the room. "And this here's Shirley. She's like family to me." practically purring at the notion and the head pats, Shirley snuggled up to Jim. Honestly, she loved him more than anything in the world, and would protect him without question from anyone or anything.

"Tyranno Hassleberry." Hassleberry added, looking back up at the others he didn't want to be rude and leave himself out of the introductions, even though he had already told Alexis his name before. Though having been reminded of all the time he had been experimented on by their cruel military he really wasn't in too much of a talking mood anymore. "But… just call me Hassleberry. Please."

"Uh, why?" Chazz inquired, crossing his arms across his chest he raised an eyebrow at the strange and muscular child, sensing a hint of trepidation in his tone even discussing something so simple as just his name.

"Hassleberry was experimented on by our dimension's military for two years." Jim explained seriously, upset he couldn't spare the boy's feelings, but they had asked so he thought it was only right that they knew, if not only so they would know not to talk about it. "From what I understand, they were trying to figure out a way to turn him into a human weapon."

"My word…" Bastion gasped, not at all expecting to hear that.

"But why?" Alexis asked, also mortified by the idea of using a human being as a weapon, especially since from what she could tell, Hassleberry had been an unwilling participant in whatever terrors they subjected him to all that time.

"Well you see, Hassleberry isn't exactly normal. Even _before_ the experiments made him as strong as he is now." Jim continued, keeping his hand on Hassleberry's shoulder he felt terrible for talking about everything he knew about the boy so freely. But if it kept them from prying again, he was willing to speak on the matter. "From what I read in his file, when he was younger his leg was broken so badly he almost lost it. His parents were desperate to help, and with so little time to act and save his leg, as a last resort they had a dinosaur bone he had found put inside his leg to make up for the pieces he'd lost. And since then, he started getting stronger and more animal-like. That's what first attracted our military to him if I'm right in saying."

"You do realize that's insane. Right?" Chazz questioned, honestly not believing such a crazy story could possibly be true.

"It's true." Hassleberry confirmed, narrowing his eyes at the skeptical warrior before letting Jim continue on with the explanation he had opted to give them even if only to shut them up from trying to ask ever again.

"Exactly." Jim nodded, "So when the military showed up and took him away, their scientists discovered that Hassleberry's DNA and what was left in the bone had combined, and had made him part dinosaur, as crazy as it sounds. So while he was in the lab, they referred to him solely by his first name. Tyranno." he continued, narrowing his only eye slightly as his tone grew more serious than it had been even as he told them the child's story. "Which is why he asked you not to use it. So I don't want to hear any of you asking anymore questions about it. Got it?"

"Of course." Bastion nodded, answering for the others, though he doubted they would have any terribly different answers. Of course he couldn't speak for Chazz, but he knew Alexis wouldn't be so rude as to ignore such a wish. Jaden probably wouldn't mind asking about details anyway considering all the hardships he had been saddled with taking up most of his thoughts, as well with his newfound distress from what had happened to Jesse in the battle. If the two ever asked he'd of course give them a brief overlay, but nothing that would upset Hassleberry or make Jim angry with them. Which begged another question, Bastion eyed the labcoat Jim had been wearing. "But if I may be so bold as to ask you, Jim. What's your relation to him? Aren't you a scientist as well?"

"As I recall, Jim was the one who broke young Hassleberry _out_ of the testing facility." Sheppard spoke up again, recalling the visions he had seen before sending the children to go and find the two in the first place. "Isn't that right?"

"Sure is." Jim answered, nodding in response to the grand maester. "I was transferred from a different branch of the military's research division, though I didn't know the true extent of the project. Just that they were working on some kind of weapon. The greatest they'd ever seen, completely under the military's control. An 'unstoppable animalistic killing machine' they called it. And one they were planning to turn over to Lord Viper when it was finished." sighing, he gave Shirley another pat on the head. "I wasn't too fond of the idea from the start. But when I got there, and found out this 'great weapon' they were talking about was a _kid_. Well, I decided putting a stop to the whole thing was more important than keeping my damn job."

"You're a good man, Jim." Sheppard praised, smiling gently at the two newcomers, he couldn't have been happier to have sent Jaden and the others to make certain that they were safe. A moment of silence passing, Sheppard realized just how much time had passed, and how late he was going to be for the council if he didn't hurry. "Oh my! I apologize, children. But it's time for me to be on my way."

"Oh yes, of course!" Bastion gasped, realizing as well the time it had been. "Your grace, you mustn't be late for the dimensional council! It would be a terribly inaccurate display for our dimension!"

"Yes, yes, I know." Sheppard chuckled, waving off the uptight and overly studious brit. Turning back to Jim and Hassleberry he offered them a few parting words. "You two have been through quite the ordeal." he said, his expression softening even more. "I apologize for my horribly disrespectful departure. But rest assured, the two of you will be safe here. You're among friends now. But of course, how you choose to proceed is up to the both of you."

"Well, thank you for your hospitality, sir." Jim nodded, grateful for everything the kind maester had done for him and Hassleberry. It hadn't been much really in terms of the amount of things done, but the value in those deeds lied in the weight they carried for the two boys. If Sheppard hadn't alerted Jaden and the others to their situation when he had, Jim honestly worried things could've ended far worse for them when all was said and done. "We really appreciate all the trouble you lot have gone to for us."

"Oh come now, it's no trouble at all." Sheppard said, smiling before he turned away, finally ready to go. "Now, all of you get some rest. You'll need it for the trials to come." bidding the children a final farewell, Sheppard left the guest quarters, making his way at once to the dimensional council, not wasting any more time as he was already running later than he had initially anticipated. Still, so long as he was certain the children were safe, he didn't mind a slight blow to his otherwise perfectly punctual attendance record.

"Well that wasn't ominous at all." Chazz scoffed, leaning his back against the wall, his arms still crossed as well. Ever since he had been rescued by Jaden and Alexis he had heard nothing but strangely cryptic and annoyingly vague statements or subtle warnings, and it was starting to seriously get on his nerves. Had he not still felt he owed the two a debt, he didn't doubt the idea that he would have already returned home. Besides, if he left, Alexis wouldn't be able to punch him any more. But he knew going back home wasn't the best idea since he was in the thick of Jaden's little 'destiny'. So he was stuck with them whether he liked it or not.

"Perhaps. But the grand maester is correct." Bastion observed, looking over the group sans Jaden and Jesse, who were still in the medical wing. "We're all due for some rest. I suggest we take advantage of this time."

"Agreed." Jim nodded, gently patting Shirley on the head once more she snuggled up next to him, possibly the happiest living being in the universe in that moment. "Besides, my back is still a little sore from getting slammed into the tree like that." Chuckling only slightly under his breath he didn't really much care to think back on it. Sure he wasn't a fighter, he was a man of science. But even so the thought of being knocked down so easily and without hardly any effort on Yubel's part was completely humiliating. Still, he made light of it, not wanting to find himself wallowing in that failure.

"Shouldn't we make sure Jaden's alright?" Hassleberry asked, ever the kind soul, worrying himself with everyone else's welfare far more than his own. But then again, even with his traumatic past that was just the type of person the lad was. Selfless to a fault, and completely pure of heart. "He seemed pretty upset about Jesse."

"Maybe." Alexis wondered aloud, knowing full well how strong emotions could affect a person's judgement and just overall demeanor. That much the rest of the party had seen back in the eleventh dimension, as ashamed as she was allowing herself to get lost in her anger like that, she'd never let herself live it down. To be honest she sympathized with him. When her brother was in danger, she would have given anything or killed anyone to rescue him, and to make sure he was safe, and yet she felt so much pain inside and Yubel certainly didn't help that, in fact she was the root cause. Now Jaden seemed to be feeling his own kind of pain. It wasn't the same as hers, that much she could see. But it was still pain, and it was real, even though they all knew Jesse was going to be just fine, Jaden still hurt. And she was honestly concerned. "I'll go check on him. You all rest up."

"Very well." Bastion nodded, not about to argue with her though he wanted to go himself and apologize for not taking better care of Jesse. But from the look in her eyes, he could see that she wanted to go by herself. Nodding back to him Alexis turned and left the guest quarters as well, slowly making her way back to the medical ward she thought about what she could say to Jaden that might not upset him, assuming she gave herself the chance to even speak to him at all. She had never even been the best with her _own_ emotions, trying to talk to someone else about theirs? Honestly she hated even thinking about it. But seeing the pain in Jaden's heart, sick with worry over Jesse… she hated knowing something was clearly wrong even more.

* * *

"Do I… have feelings for him…?" Jaden wondered aloud, his voice hardly louder than a whisper as his eyes landed on Jesse's peaceful, sleeping face. Feeling the warmth of his hand still held in his own, Jaden couldn't help but be completely enamored by him once again. It was the strangest feeling, it almost seemed unnatural to him. The two had known each other for barely more than a day and yet he felt a perpetual longing in his heart, begging them to stay together. He didn't want Jesse's hands to hold anyone else's but his, or even for his own hands to hold another's. Jesse was just so beautiful and sweet, Jaden found that he adored everything about him to the point where he couldn't imagine his existence without the bluenette by his side. "But I couldn't possibly, we hardly know each other…"

 _"Kuri kuri.."_ Winged Kuriboh snuggled himself into his confused master's cheek, doing the best he could to try and make him feel better. Nearly every day he could remember had been rough on him in one way or another, and it had only gotten worse since he discovered who he really was. And on top of that he was emotionally confused and conflicted, he just couldn't understand why he was feeling the way that he did. But there was one thing Winged Kuriboh was sure of, and that was that even if he wasn't sure what it meant, Jaden did care deeply for Jesse. Enough to make his heart ache the way it did. Floating down a little, he nudged Jaden's hand, causing his hold on Jesse's to tighten just slightly.

"You think so too…?" Jaden questioned, smiling gently at his little spirit guardian. The little creature beamed back at him, happy to sense that his master was starting to feel even the slightest bit of clarity. "I mean, I guess that explains a few things…" He thought aloud, thinking back on all of his life experiences. "I mean, Alexis is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I mean sure, I haven't seen many, but still. She's really nice, and so compassionate and strong. Inside and out, she's as pretty as a star. She's incredible... but for whatever reason, I don't get all weird or blushy when she's around me. But with Jesse… I…"

Sighing quietly, Jaden closed his eyes, lowering his head as he lost himself in thought, doing his best to sort his feelings out as best he could with what little knowledge of them he had. Sitting for a few moments in silence, Jaden's senses were alerted by a small change in the air around him. Tuning back into his surroundings Jaden could hear a series of quiet groans escape from Jesse's lips, his delicate fingers gripping around Jaden's hand as his body shifted in a sign of waking. Shooting his head back up, Jaden's eyes widened as he saw Jesse's own beginning to slowly pull themselves open.

"Jesse!?" He practically shouted. Gripping Jesse's hand tighter, Jaden slammed his free hand down on the side of the bed, shooting up from his seat he leaned forward, his eyes still as wide as he could possibly manage as his heart raced and pounded in his chest at the sight and the anticipation. Watching as the bluenette slowly returned to the land of the living, Jaden realized just how true Yubel's insinuation really was. Slowly pulling his eyes open, Jesse's emerald green orbs stared almost blankly back into Jaden's, still extremely groggy from his involuntary sleep.

"J-Jaden…?" He asked tiredly, taking a second to register the brunette's presence before offering him a weak smile. "Hey, you…" squeezing Jaden's hand one more time, he wasn't even trying to be subtle anymore. He had been more or less flirting almost the entire time they'd been together, not that Jaden had sense enough to notice. He couldn't really explain it, it was like his heart was being drawn to the clueless brunette for some reason, but completely unrelated to him having been created specifically for him, at least he thought so. But then again, he figured maybe that too really was part of it. Even so, he was too tired to try and be subtle, but still he doubted Jaden would pick up on his intent.

"You're okay, Jesse!" Jaden spat out, swiftly lifting Jesse's hand up he clasped his free hand around the bluenette's one more time, holding it almost like he thought if he let go the boy would disappear. Almost desperately clinging to him. "The healers said you'd be fine when you woke up!"

"Yeah?" Jesse asked, chuckling slightly as his head listed back to the left a little as he did his best to shake off his fatigue. "That's good…"

"Jesse, I…"

"The spirits…they told me what you did… summoning Neos like that.." Jesse interrupted, turning back to the flustered and concerned brunette, a cheeky little twinkle shined in Jesse's eyes as he looked on, a slight chuckle exiting his lips. "Nice duelin', tex."

"Jesse…" Jaden said, his voice lowered to hardly more than a hushed whisper, lowering his gaze away from Jesse, ashamed of himself for allowing him to come to harm like that. "I'm sorry… you shouldn't've had to do that for me…"

"C'mon, Jaden." Jesse sighed, had he not been lying down he would have shaken his head at him. But instead he opted for just a reassuring glance. "That's what I'm meant for. Or… did you forget..?"

"No." Jaden answered back, shaking his own head. More than aware of Jesse's intended and assigned purpose in life, no matter how much Jaden was starting to come to hate the connotations of it. "I could never forget that. It's just… you could've been really hurt… a-and if that happened I… I-I don't know if I could…"

"What's wrong, Jaden..?" Jesse asked, sensing the trepidation in Jaden's tone. Raising an eyebrow at the brunette he could feel his confusion and worry. It almost hurt Jesse inside to see Jaden so conflicted and confused. But he could tell there was something going on deep within his heart, it was more than clear to anyone with a functioning pair of eyes. "It's more than just that encounter… I can tell.."

"Jesse I…" Jaden sighed, a little scared to admit it. He worried that if he did then Jesse would think less of him, or think him even stranger than he probably did anyway. He didn't want the bluenette to lose the smile he always showed to him, or to never hold onto him again. But at the same time, he knew if he never said anything, he would only regret it in the end. Giving Jesse's hand another gentle squeeze Jaden took a deep breath, turning his gaze directly into the flawless emerald green's staring wearily back at him. "I think I have feelings for you."

A moment of silence passed between the two celestial children, the anticipation growing in Jaden's heart as he waited for Jesse to answer him. To say anything at all. All Jesse could manage was to stare, his eyes widening at what Jaden had to say. In all honesty he hadn't expected to ever hear such a thing from the brunette and honestly the thought was starting to disappoint him, but actually hearing it now it was almost surreal. Finally getting over the shock of the revelation, Jesse let his eyes close again, a slight half-chuckle escaping the confines of his lips.

"Well whaddya know…?" Jesse chuckled, looking back at Jaden as a small and cheeky grin crawled across his face, dispelling any fears the brunette might have previously harbored. "All that flirting. Apparently it paid off.."

"...What?" Jaden inquired. He had nearly had a heart attack when Jesse started to laugh, but now he was just plain confused. Of course that wasn't exactly a foreign concept to him.

"Well now, I knew you wouldn't catch on.." Jesse chuckled, not at all surprised by his adorable confusion. It was one of the many things he came to love about Jaden. "No offense, but you're completely clueless.."

"Come on, Jesse. Give me some credit, will ya?" Letting out a small half-chuckle of his own, Jaden shook his head at the bluenette, finally feeling himself smile again. "I mean it's not like it's _completely_ my fault."

"Alright, you've got a point." Jesse laughed, finally starting to regain some energy now that he was amidst a decently cheery conversation. Also he was just happy to see the brunette actually crack a genuine smile for once. "But y'know, cheesy as it is to say, as soon as I saw you I think I felt something." he explained, though he was totally sure he was gonna lose Jaden somewhere along the way. "Not really sure how to explain it except… I think the moment we first met, our stars aligned. Y'know?"

"I think so?" Jaden answered, having a pretty good idea of what exactly Jesse probably meant by that. "But isn't it weird for us to… have these feelings…? I mean, we've hardly known each other longer than a day…"

"Normally I'd probably say yes, that's true." Jesse nodded, conceding the point. Pulling himself up to a sitting position he gripped Jaden's hand tight, gazing into his beautifully innocent eyes he raised his left hand, gently grazing the back of his delicate hand across Jaden's pale, silky cheek, a few of his fingers finding their way into his soft brown hair. He could feel Jaden's face heat up as his skin took on a barely visible baby pink hue at his soft touch. "But somehow… somehow it feels like I've known you forever…y'know?" Thinking about it a moment longer, Jesse couldn't help but chuckle. "But to be fair, I _was_ created for _you._ "

"Y-Yeah." Jaden answered, completely mesmerized by Jesse's gentle beauty, blushing heavily as the former caressed his cheek. In that moment it was like the entire world around them had faded away, leaving only the two of them behind in an almost magical moment. "Yeah, that's true.."

"Good." Jesse chuckled, flashing a bright smile at the brunette, a slight wave of relief coming over him in that moment. "For a second I was starting to think I was just crazy." Shaking his head slightly at Jesse's statement Jaden softly smiled back at him, tilting his head fully into Jesse's overturned palm.

"You're not crazy." He said, starting to feel all warm and fuzzy inside at the sight of the blue boy, and the gentle touch of his soft skin against his cheek made him feel like his heart was going to burst from how hard it was pounding in his chest. Yet still somehow he felt calm. Like nothing else in the universe mattered anymore except that moment. Feeling himself begin to slowly lean in towards Jesse he could feel his desire begin to grow. "No more than I am…"

"Glad to hear it…" Jesse answered back, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he too started to lean in, their eyes drooping closed as they got closer Jesse kept his hand on Jaden's face as the two met each other, their lips gently touching as they sank into a tender kiss. Staying there for a few seconds neither of them wanted to let it end. It was an almost heavenly experience, one they never wanted to stop feeling, but after another short moment they allowed themselves to pull apart, staring deeply into one another's eyes as they tried to work up the nerve to speak a single word.

"W-Wow.." Jaden managed to stutter out, hardly able to believe they had just done that. He had felt the desire before, but he never in a million years thought it would actually happen.

"I know.." Jesse answered back, hardly able to believe it himself, though he was more than positive that neither of them were going to complain about it. Keeping his eyes on Jaden for a second he caught a glimpse of a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head slightly he froze for a second at what he saw, his face growing exponentially redder realizing what it meant. There in the doorway, Alexis stood, her arms crossed just under her breasts she had a tiny smirk on her face, the look in her eyes telling Jesse that she had seen more than enough of what had just happened.

"Welcome back, Jesse." She spoke up, Jaden whirling around in surprise as her voice alerted him to her presence, his face somehow even redder than Jesse's had been. Chuckling quietly under her breath she shook her head at the two boys, honestly a little amused by the current situation. Shifting her weight from her right leg to her left her smirk grew slightly. "Well Jaden, I was coming down to make sure you weren't still moping, but it seems to me you're just fine. Maybe more than fine."

"A-Alexis!" the brunette stuttered, completely flustered from the deep embarrassment he tried his best to regain what little composure he could muster up considering she had just walked in on them kissing. "I-I'm sorry! We didn't know you were there!"

"Of course you didn't, Jaden, I walked right into the middle of it." She sighed heavily, shaking her head at him again, throwing her arms up slightly in disappointment. She was fully aware of how dumb the brunette was having been in his company the longest, but his extremely low awareness to what went on around him was truly beginning to baffle her. "Whatever. Sheppard's gone to the dimensional council and he suggests we rest up while we can. I just came down here to tell you that." She continued, turning her back on the two with the intention of returning to the guest quarters for that much needed rest.

"Well uh… thank you." Jaden replied, his face starting to fade from the deep red it had acquired previously to a much softer pink hue.

"No problem." Alexis nodded, stopping before she fully walked away she chuckled quietly to herself, turning her head slightly back towards the two boys. "And don't worry, I won't tell everyone about the little display I saw." chuckling a little louder she turned away again, proceeding back down the hallway. "They can figure it out for themselves." Walking down the hallway she thought hard to herself. Not so much about the whole kissing thing, that didn't really bother her any, and it really was none of her business so she opted to just let the sleeping giant lie for now. What she thought about was Sheppard's statement about the 'trials ahead'. Of course she knew there was still more to be done with Yubel still on the prowl and all, but she couldn't help but feel like whatever it was they would have to face, it would only bring them to the end. And if they failed, it wouldn't mean only their end, but an end to all things as well.


	17. Dangers In The Night

_**-Chapter 17-** _

The night sky was peaceful as it had always been. Moonlight enveloped the land and not a single cloud covered the stars above. The ninth dimension slept soundly, unaware of the horrid act being committed as they dreamed their sweet dreams.

Just outside the castle grounds, a young man by the name of Axel Brodie made his way around the back wall, looking for the perfect blind spot between the stationed guards for him to make his entrance to the castle. His orders had been simple. Infiltrate the castle, and bring the little prince back with him to the sixth dimension, where he would remain the prisoner of Lord Viper himself until such time as he was either released or rescued, though the former was certainly a highly unlikely option. Such an act like that, Axel was sure it would no doubt be the final straw in the generations lasting feud between the two opposing dimensions. Taking out a grappling hook from his utility belt, Axel made ready to scale the wall, knowing he would have to be quick once he got inside. The prince's quarters were heavily guarded, and not too easy to get to from the outside. To reach the little one, Axel would have to execute some impressive parkour skills to get to the small balcony outside the boy's chamber. And even then, he would have to reach one of the higher levels of the castle. It wasn't going to be a particularly _fun_ trip, but he couldn't risk sneaking around on the inside with all the guards roaming around. So, he figured the best course of action would be to sneak in from the _outside_.

_"Nothing personal, highness. It's just business."_

* * *

Inside the palace however, Syrus sat rather dejected in his chamber, still feeling terrible for upsetting his brother and causing such a fuss for everyone. He knew it was wrong, but he just couldn't bear the thought of Jaden being out there by himself. Of course, he had to face the consequences of his actions, disobeying not only his brother, but the regulations put in place by their parents before they passed away.

"Come on." Syrus spoke to himself, tired of sitting around feeling sorry for himself. "That's enough of that. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, it's pathetic." Frustrated still, Syrus shook his head at himself, ashamed of his childish behavior. It was unbecoming for someone of his distinguished station after all. Standing from his seat at his desk he found himself pacing about his room, the skirt of his ensemble as well as the short little veil like cape of sorts about his back fluttering behind him as his tiny body created a small breeze while he paced, trying to keep his thoughts away from Jaden for now. If he kept thinking about his friend, he would only bum himself out again, and right now that was the last thing he wanted to do. Especially now that Zane and Aster had more or less confined him to his room for the next week or so, only allowing him to leave if it was necessary. And as such, he had been denied the option to accompany his brother and Aster to the dimensional council as well, an event their father had told them was a privilege to attend. So being alone -save for the abundance of guards patrolling around his quarters- in his room with upsetting thoughts for a week wasn't exactly something little Syrus wanted to do. Sighing quietly to himself again, Syrus took a seat on the edge of the large bed in the upper center of the room, turning his back to the balcony. Something about the night didn't agree with him then, it almost felt to him like there was something lurking out there.

* * *

Climbing his way up the castle walls, Axel made sure he kept within the blind spots of each guard he came across, silently sneaking past. He hated how easy it was to make it so far, only another balcony to scale before he had made it. However, the easy entry wouldn't carry over to his exit. He knew it would be far harder to get the little prince _out_ of the castle than it was for him to get in. He was a master of stealth as well as combat, so breaking in hadn't been at all an issue. But as soon as he tried to grab the boy, Axel knew the guards would no doubt be alerted and come after them. And on top of that, he couldn't count on using little Syrus's portal powers to escape either, meaning he would have to make his escape the hard way. Continuing his ascent, Axel finally managed to reach the prince's balcony, carefully making sure he didn't make too much noise as not to alert the prince to his presence. Quickly pulling himself up and over the banister he landed softly and as silently as he could on the marble floor of the balcony, swiftly moving out of the light cast through the glass door separating the balcony from the bedroom back into the shadows to avoid potentially being seen.

" _Here we go."_ Axel thought to himself. Glancing into the large room, he could see the little prince inside, his back turned to the balcony door as he sat still on the rather large bed. Truth be told, he had never actually seen the prince before, though being from the sixth dimension it wasn't too uncommon a thing, but still, seeing just how small and fragile looking he was now, Axel almost felt bad about what he was about to do. Quickly shaking off the feeling, he crouched down along the outer edge of the balcony, slowly sneaking his way up to the glass door while he kept to one side, making sure to stay out of sight as long as possible. Taking a moment to prepare himself for the next few minutes, he slowly pushed the glass door open just a crack, only leaving enough room for him to be able to fit through. Slipping through as hastily and silently as he could, he entered the bedroom, concealing himself behind the bed before he could be seen. Axel listened as Syrus quickly stood from his spot on the bed, the wedged heels of his boots clicking on the marble floor as he moved directly over to the slightly cracked open balcony door, his dainty body somehow even smaller than Axel had thought now that he was seeing him at his full height. Syrus hesitated for a moment. A worried look overtaking his adorable boyish face, he gingerly placed his little hand on the door, sticking his head out just a little to see if anyone was there.

" _Sorry, kid."_ Axel thought again, quietly rising from his hiding place, Axel crossed behind the little prince, preparing for the chaos that was no doubt to come from this nefarious deed. Standing tall and resolute, he towered over Syrus, watching as the little bluenette realized no one was outside. Closing the balcony door, Syrus sighed quietly to himself, lowering his head for a moment before turning back into the room. The moment Syrus turned his eyes back from the floor, he saw a new shadow behind him, out of place for where he was standing in the room. Anxiously turning on his heel he gasped, his hands raising to his mouth as his eyes found the source of the unfamiliar figure towering over him. His adorable grey eyes widened in fear at the sight of the intruder. Slowly backing away, Syrus's back almost immediately hit the glass door behind him, leaving him with few options for what to do next.

"W-Who are you…?" The little one dared to ask, lowering his right hand to search for the door handle behind his back. If he could manage to get outside, he could buy himself enough time to get a portal open so he could escape and find his brother at the dimensional council. If he could manage that, he was sure everything would be okay.

"Sorry, your highness." Axel answered, ignoring Syrus's question he took a step forward, grabbing Syrus's tiny wrist in his rough grip he pulled him away from the door. "But you're coming with me now." yanking Syrus further away from the door, holding the boy's arms behind his back, the small boy struggled against Axel's grasp, but to no avail. His small, weak body proving to be powerless against his far stronger abductor. Keeping up his struggles, Syrus wasn't about to let himself be taken without a fight. With his hands restrained Syrus knew he wouldn't be able to activate his portal powers correctly, meaning he had to think of a way to get out of Axel's grasp for just long enough to get a portal open so he could escape.

"Let me go…!" Syrus demanded as he continued to struggle. Desperately trying to think of a way to get himself out of this situation, he remembered a crucial detail about himself that he was honestly a little apt to forget from time to time. Alongside being born with the ability to open dimensional portals wherever he pleased, Syrus was also quite adept at the practice of the mystic arts. Though, since he rarely had any use for it, sometimes he would forget he could even use it at all for short periods of time. If it were less of a hazard to summon something from his deck indoors, he would have preferred that approach, but given the circumstances he didn't really even have enough use of his hands at the moment to do it anyway. Concentrating for a moment, Syrus waved his fingers around, charging up a spell in an attempt to buy himself even just a few seconds to try and escape.

"Just quit squirming and hold still!" Axel commanded, starting to get annoyed with the little one. Keeping a hold on the prince, Axel went to pull some rope from his belt to keep the little one restrained for the return trip to the sixth dimension, not about to give little Syrus any chance to thwart the plan and alert his brother. If he failed, Axel was honestly starting to worry about what Viper would do to punish him for it. Sure he wasn't going to have much issue with the remainder of the plan, Axel let his guard down for just barely long enough to make all the difference in helping Syrus's own plan.

"I said, let me go!" Syrus cried out, a thick beam of sparkling light firing from the soft magical glow that had built up between his hands, shooting directly into Axel's left leg the mercenary let out a slight shout, releasing his hold on Syrus _just_ enough for the bluenette to pull himself away, freeing himself from Axel's grasp. A slight bit of adrenaline rushing through his small, frail body, Syrus scampered to the other side of the room, a light blue glow coming over his body as he summoned the blue orb his portals formed from. Pouring every thought of the dimensional council he had into the portal, Syrus took every precaution he could to be sure it would lead to the right place. Doing the best he could to be quick and get away, Syrus failed to notice Axel recover from his attack. Returning to his feet, Axel glared at the young prince, storming over and grabbing the boy's arm he yanked the boy closer to his side, the portal orb vanishing with Syrus's concentration broken.

"Come here, you little runt!" Axel growled, dragging Syrus from his place by the walk-in closet across from the bed. Whirling around, Axel threw Syrus onto the bed, a high pitched cry escaping Syrus's lips as his fragile body collided with the firm mattress. "It's nothing personal, highness." he said, grabbing a few lengths of rope from his belt as he forced Syrus's arms behind his back, binding them before Syrus had a chance to try and get away again. "But Lord Viper requests your presence at his fortress. And he doesn't take kindly to his invitations being rejected."

"N-No!" Syrus cried, squirming in Axel's grasp, Syrus pulled against the ropes binding his arms while Axel fed another length of rope under the tiny boy's chest, wrapping it around his slim frame about five times before tying it tightly to secure the young prince. Struggling as best he could, Syrus cried out again, hoping to catch the attention of the multitude of guards on patrol outside before it was too late now that that was his only hope of escape. He could try magic again, but tied up like that, it wouldn't exactly do him much good.

"Stop squirming!" Axel commanded, hastily tying the prince's ankles together he heard the clanging of metal armor outside in the hall as the guards approached, alerted by the prince's distressed screams.

"Brother!" Syrus shouted in a moment of desperation. Zane wouldn't come, he knew that. He had gone to the dimensional council, so no matter how loud he cried for his brother's help, he wouldn't hear. But in that moment, he couldn't think of anything else to do that would do him any good. The guards outside converged by the door, barking orders to secure the area and preparing to storm inside. Frustrated by Syrus's high pitched whining, Axel grabbed a thick cloth from the bag on his belt, hastily placing it over Syrus's mouth and tying it tightly to quiet the little one, reducing his fearful cries to a much quieter muffled mess. Shooting his head up at the sound of the bedroom door slamming open, Axel watched as the guards filed into the large bedroom, weapons at the ready to rescue their beloved prince.

"Your highness!" The captain shouted, horrified by the scene unfolding before him, as well as ashamed that a sixth dimension degenerate had been able to not only sneak his way into the castle, but get his hands on the young prince as well. Drawing his sword, the captain turned the blade to Axel, determined to save their little, defenseless prince. "In the name of his majesty, King Zane, I demand you release the prince at once!"

"Pathetic." Axel scoffed, rolling his eyes he grabbed Syrus, spinning him around and effortlessly throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of flour, the little one squirming in his best attempt to free himself but to no avail. "Sorry, but his highness has been summoned by Lord Viper. Tell your king if he wants to see his little brother again, he won't."

Syrus cried out as loudly as he could through the thick gag over his mouth. Fear ever present in his eyes he struggled as hard as he could despite Axel's tight hold on his child sized frame making it next to impossible to squirm effectively. Taking only a second in pause, Axel turned back to the balcony, throwing himself at the glass door, shattering the thin glass with ease as Syrus let out another muffled scream, becoming more and more afraid by the second. Barking orders at the guards, the captain rushed forward in a desperate attempt to retrieve the boy before he was out of reach. Retrieving his grappling hook from his utility belt again, Axel tightened his hold on the little bluenette, backing up one step, Axel took a deep breath before hurling his body forward, sprinting the short distance he propelled his body upwards with all the strength he could muster in his legs, leaping off the side of the balcony. The cold night breeze accelerating to a complete whirlwind as the two fell through the air, the horribly powerful gusts completely drowning out Syrus's already muffled cries of terror.

 _"Make this shot count, Axel!"_ He thought to himself, aiming his grappling hook he fired, the hard metal latching to the side of the castle Axel used all of their combined weight to swing himself towards the outer wall of the grounds, releasing the hook's grip on the stone wall as soon as he was sure they were far enough down to land on the wall's walkway without sustaining any serious injuries. Coming into contact with the ground, Axel found himself rolling across the upper walkway of the wall, dropping Syrus in the process, the bluenette's consciousness fading quickly as his body made hard contact with the stonework, rolling a short distance as well not having the use of his arms to try and stop himself.

"Dammit!" Axel hissed under his breath, swiftly rising to his feet he looked around, watching as the guards stationed on the wall ran towards them from both directions, shouting and waving their weapons in a sad attempt to intimidate him. Scoffing quietly he scooped up Syrus's now unconscious form, he held the small boy in his arms for a moment before deciding how to proceed. In the heat of the moment Axel hadn't realized just how tiny and light Syrus was, beginning to understand why the boy was so protected. On top of his extremely rare power, he was like a child, so small and helpless on his own even with the small amount of magic he was able to do, and even unconscious, Axel could see the fear on his face. It almost felt wrong to him, everything that he was doing. But there was no time to dwell on it now. Giving himself another running start he leaped from the wall, holding Syrus tighter so he wouldn't drop him this time. Landing on the proper ground with a thud, Axel took a moment to recover, quickly scanning the prince over for any wounds from the first fall, he was relieved to see that despite being knocked out, the bluenette seemed to be okay if not for a few small scrapes from their little tumble. After all, he was ordered to _kidnap_ Syrus, not to harm him.

"Time to go." Axel muttered quietly to himself, scurrying behind a group of trees as the commotion the guards had been making grew louder, desperate to find their stolen prince. Clutching the small boy closer, Axel ran from the castle, making his way ever closer to the portal point he had arrived at. The shouting and scrambling of the guards grew quieter as he furthered the distance between himself and the grand castle, slowing down only when he knew that he had gone far enough that they wouldn't be catching up within him before he reached the portal point, taking their precious prince far out of their reach. Keeping his firm grip on the bluenette, Axel was honestly thankful he had been knocked unconscious from the more than ungraceful landing. That way he wouldn't have to listen to the boy's annoyingly pitiful cries, even with the thick gag over his mouth muffling them significantly. Also he wouldn't have to go through the effort of trying to keep the little one from struggling and squirming up a storm. Honestly, Axel preferred it this way. Quiet and easy, and without the boy's innocent fear making him feel those annoying little emotions called guilt and uncertainty. He hated feeling that way, it was distracting and overall just a nuisance. Shaking his head he did his best to ignore those feelings. After all in his line of work, there was no place for guilt, especially in the employ of Lord Viper. The man was a tyrant who would do anything and everything to obtain power and expand his influence. Axel had worked for him for many years now, committing one dastardly deed after another in Viper's name, dirtying his own hands where the cruel man would not.

" _Almost there."_ He thought, focusing on the task at hand. Approaching the hidden portal point, Axel tightened his grip on the bound prince just slightly, adjusting his hold on the little one a soft, muffled moan escaped the bluenette's lips, his tiny body trying naturally to shift his position though both the tight ropes binding him and Axel's grip as well making it next to impossible for the unconscious prince. Walking up the slight incline in the wooded path Axel set the small boy down on the ground, propping him up against one of the many trees surrounding them he turned to the portal point, more than ready to leave. Walking up to the point Axel raised his hands up to the empty air in front of him, flicking his wrists he parted the air around him, a swirling blue portal appearing as he moved his hands along the otherwise empty space before him. Satisfied with the opened portal he moseyed back over to the bound prince, scooping him back up from the ground he sighed at the sight of the bluenette's fearful face. Not wanting to look his slowly rising guilt in the face anymore he threw the little boy over his shoulder, a muffled groan escaping Syrus's lips once more as his chin collided with Axel's strong back. Sighing quietly to himself Axel approached the portal, more than ready to put the whole thing behind him.

" _Like I said highness."_ Axel thought to himself, shifting the little prince on his shoulder as he made his way through the portal, sealing his fate as an undisputed enemy of the ninth dimension. " _Nothing personal."_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the neutral grounds of the first dimension, the dimensional council had already been in full swing for quite some time. Although just as Alexis had surmised, as soon as Lord Viper arrived and reared his maniacal head, any talks of actual inter-dimensional politics or interference with internal dimensional affairs had quickly devolved into nothing but baseless accusations and petty squabbles between the various dimensional leaders, leaving Crowler, Atticus, and Sheppard to do most if not _all_ of the actual work that needed to be done. Although with Aster there to keep him from letting his intense hatred for Viper get out of control in his presence Zane also made a genuine effort to participate as well, completely unaware of the disaster that had befallen his little brother back at home.

"Well, now that that matter is settled, I suppose we've earned a moment's reprieve." Crowler declared, taking the documents he had been fussing with and placing them into a folder, handing it politely to his aid to have filed for the remainder of the arguing leaders they had left for Viper to deal with. Bowing politely for the royalty in attendance the young, redheaded girl quickly took the documents away as she had been instructed. Clapping his hands together Crowler turned back to the others in his company. "Now Sheppard, is it true? Are you certain young Jaden is a celestial being…?"

"As I said when I first divulged this to you all, it is true." Sheppard nodded, completely understanding of Crowler's slight skepticism. The man had studied the celestials for so long, and having never discovered anything like Jaden in recorded history he was having a little bit of a hard time believing it. He knew the celestials had something to do with Jaden, that much had been clear, though having actually been _created_ by them, it was a lot for all of them to wrap their heads around.

"It's so strange to think…" Atticus thought aloud, thinking back to what little time he had spent with the younger brunette. He was more than a little odd, that was for sure, but he was just a regular kid who risked his own life to help Alexis save him when he hadn't needed to. Selfless and kind, thinking back Atticus could only smile. It was foolish of him to not have seen it before, just how special the boy truly was. Glancing over to Zane the man didn't say a single word on the matter. He almost seemed annoyed by Jaden's identity, like he was hoping he was just some nobody for some reason. Though to be fair, the man was irritated by almost everything being the kind of guy he was, being fairly short with anyone and everyone aside from Aster and his brother. And even with them he wasn't the nicest guy either.

"Indeed." Crowler agreed, eyeing the bandage wrapped around Atticus' forehead, slightly obscured by his bangs and interwoven with the rest of his gorgeous hair as well as the last fading remnants of the bruises and wounds that had distorted his fair skin. The young, soon to be king had hidden his wounds well when and where he could, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was still healing from them all. No matter how much he wished he could. "But Atticus, your highness, are you certain you're ready to be back with us?" he asked, concerned for the young ruler's well-being as the caring man he was. "If you're still in pain it would be more than acceptable for you to return home."

"I'm alright, Crowler, don't worry." Atticus reassured, offering the kind and fatherly chancellor a gentle smile, greatly appreciative of his concern. "My wounds hardly hurt anymore. Though I appreciate your concern."

"We've all been concerned for you, my boy." Sheppard added, feeling a great deal of guilt for having known what the young man would have to endure. It was times like that he almost wished someone else had been the grand maester instead, so he wouldn't have to watch as people suffered, knowing it was going to happen, but not being able to speak a single word. But it was the burden each grand maester had always had to bear. "In fact, I'm sure you know it was Zane who sent Jaden to your dimension. I wouldn't be surprised if he intended for the boy to help you."

"Yes, I do." Atticus nodded, turning his head back to his friend, more than grateful for his indirect interference. "I've been waiting for the chance to properly thank you for that."

"You hardly need to." Zane dismissed, his tone as cold and distant as ever, not at all one for pleasantries or sentimentality. "I did only what _every_ ruler should have done. Nothing more."

"Alright, sure." Atticus chuckled. He had known Zane long enough to know exactly what he meant when he spoke like that. Besides, he could feel it from him just as he could from everyone else there. The concern they held in their hearts was the one thing they couldn't possibly even hope to hide from him, smiling softly at his oldest friend. "Thank you anyway."

"Well now, I suppose it's time we get back to business then." Crowler announced, happy it seemed that for once in a blue moon all was well. "Shall we?"

"Very well." Sheppard nodded, eager to get as much done in the current session as was possible. Still, he knew deep down that wasn't going to be possible. He knew far too much about the near future to allow himself the pleasure of proceeding with any normalcy. He could feign blissful ignorance all he wanted, but nothing could prepare him for the guilt he would feel when all was said and done. Even so the four continued with what affairs they could without the entire council getting involved, though the usual childish bickering phase of the council would doubtless be nearly finished by now. Standing back a short ways, taking notes on his perpetually equipped clipboard Aster stood by silently, concerning himself only with archiving the council meeting in his notes to file once they were able to return home. If he was completely honest with himself, he would have preferred Syrus not to have been left back home without them. Zane of course had been adamant that he remain confined to his chambers as punishment for having both used his powers without his permission and leaving the dimension without any escort or guard of any kind. But even so, though he was loath to admit it, Aster disagreed with Zane's decision if only just this once. Perhaps he was just getting a little paranoid being in the same building as Viper, he knew they were both a little more wary being so close to their dimension's most hated enemy, but still Aster found that he couldn't help but worry about the little prince's safety while they were away. Sighing almost silently under his breath Aster heard the door to the large office they had convened in open behind him. Turning his sapphire eyes in the door's direction he saw Crowler's aid enter, her deep green eyes wide as she tried to collect herself, compulsively brushing some natural dust from her skirt she quietly scurried over to Aster, clearly having something extremely pressing to relay.

"I-I apologize for disturbing you, sir." She stuttered out in a hushed yet almost frantic whisper, not wanting to catch the attention of the busy dimensional leaders. "But one of your soldiers is in the great hall, he had a message for you and the king." taking a deep breath she finally seemed to calm down if only just a little, though Aster still had a terribly bad feeling about what she was going to say. "Security wouldn't let him through to see you s-so I offered to tell you."

"Yes?" Aster questioned, his tone equally as quiet as not to disturb Zane and the others, at least not until he had a reason to. Which judging by her face and tone, he would soon have one. "What is it?"

"It's about Prince Syrus." She whispered warily, hoping to the gods Zane wouldn't hear her. She knew he was going to find out within the next few minutes, but for the love of all that was good and holy in the universe she did _not_ want to be the one he heard it from because to be honest, she was a little afraid of the man. "H-He's been taken."

Aster's eyes widened when the words reached his ears. Quickly covering his mouth with his hand sans clipboard to muffle the gasp involuntarily ejecting itself from his lips he stared the redhead straight in the eyes, needing to know as many of the facts as she could give.

"Is this true?"

"Yes, it's true!" She confirmed, wishing to the heavens what she was about to say wasn't true too. "The soldier said he was on the scene when it happened. He claims the prince was abducted by um… by a sixth dimension mercenary… possibly one of Viper's men…"

"Dammit!" Aster cursed quietly, taking a deep and heavy breath he straightened his tie as he took a moment to calm himself, urging her to return to Crowler's side he turned back to Zane, not looking forward to how his majesty would react to the information. Taking a step forward he tapped Zane on the shoulder, prepared to share what he had learned. "Your majesty, I have an urgent message from the castle."

Sensing Zane's mood drop exponentially, though as well Aster could tell the man was starting to feel concerned, knowing by him saying the message was urgent that it couldn't have been anything good. Ushering Zane over to one side Aster took another deep breath, worried how bad the fallout of this revelation could end up being if Zane couldn't keep his temper in control.

"Well?" Zane questioned, beckoning the silver headed advisor to speak, not really sure how much patience he could muster with the thoughts swirling around in his mind at the moment. No matter what Aster had to say if it was important enough to be considered 'urgent' then it had to be something bad, or at least something that even if it wasn't bad it required his attention right now. Still, Zane had a sinking feeling that it would be the former.

"Aster's worried." Atticus said, his voice hushed though still loud enough for Crowler and Sheppard to hear standing next to him. The three watched carefully as the two spoke to one side, Aster's voice too hushed and low for them to hear, but the immediate change in Zane's body language and the pure rage coming over his face told them more than they needed to know.

"WHAT!?" Zane roared, leaning in slightly he seemed to tower over Aster even more than he normally would, his fists clenching so tight his knuckles were completely white from the tension he held within. Aster backed away from the enraged king, fearing this would be how he would react to the urgent news. "THAT _BASTARD_!"

"Oh my..!" Crowler gasped, taken aback by Zane's overwhelming fury. Catching a glimpse of Atticus out of the corner of his eye he could see the brunette's body trembling, Zane's pure rage overwhelming his senses. Worried for the young ruler, Crowler placed his hands on Atticus's shoulders, trying his best to offer him some support. "Atticus, are you alright?" nodding, the brunette took a few deep breaths, doing what he could to keep himself stable. Being able to feel the emotions of the people around him, he had always been particularly susceptible to the negative ones, a surplus of them making him exponentially weaker than he would be otherwise. Worriedly glancing from one member of the group to another, Crowler's eyes landed on Aster, desperate for any kind of explanation. "What the devil is going on?"

"Well, Crowler," Sheppard spoke, regretfully knowing full well what the problem was. "I'm afraid our dear Prince Syrus has been abducted. On Lord Viper's orders."

"A-Are you certain?" Crowler gasped, hardly able to believe such a thing could be possible. The little prince was under nearly constant guard, and he had always thought Zane's castle to be impenetrable. It was a little more than shocking to hear.

"Regrettably, I foresaw this some time ago.." Sheppard sighed, preparing himself for Zane's inevitable hatred for him having kept such a detail from him. But such was the grand maester's burden.

"You _what_!?" Zane growled, taking heavy steps towards the esteemed maester, his eyes narrowed in pure rage he felt bad for the discomfort his anger was causing Atticus, but given the circumstances he was sure the brunette wouldn't fault him for it in the end. "You _knew_. And said _nothing_ to me!?"

"You know full well that such things are forbidden to me, Zane." Sheppard asserted, hardly batting an eye at Zane's growing frustration. "Place your anger elsewhere. It was Viper who violated the sanctions put in place by the councils of old. _He_ took your brother, not I."

"C-Calm down, Zane.." Atticus spoke up, completely overwhelmed by the anger, hatred, worry, and confusion swirling around him he leaned more into Crowler's hold, feeling himself slowly sink back into the early stages of the almost comatose state Jaden and Alexis had found him in. Of course it wasn't nearly as bad as how that had been, but there was a reason they separated themselves from the rest of the council when the bickering started each gathering. And still not being at his full strength again was certainly not helping him stave off the effects that his enhanced empathy had on him. "Please… anger won't help…"

Scoffing under his breath, Zane turned his back to the rest of the group. Taking a moment to breathe he tried to think of something he could do, but as soon as he thought about his defenseless brother in the hands of their dimension's most hated enemy, all he could do was rage even more. On the outside he appeared to have calmed in comparison to his previous outbursts, but on the inside a fire raged on that only vengeance could extinguish. Pushing past Aster, Zane made his way to the office door, throwing it open as he tried not to lose himself in his anger. Viper had violated more than one of the laws imposed onto his despicable dimension with this act. And Zane was determined to wreak his vengeance, one way or another.


	18. Council of Deception

_**-Chapter 18-** _

Storming through the meeting hall, Zane approached the main chamber where the remaining dimensional leaders had been taking care of their own share of the business, overseen by Viper himself. The anger he held was prevalent on his face, a deep scowl forming as his eyes narrowed further the closer he came to the chamber. Aster and the others had followed closely, trying to urge him not to make a scene in front of the other leaders, but Zane couldn't have possibly cared less about what they thought. The ninth and sixth dimensions had been in the midst of a deep and volatile feud for nearly five generations, and never once had such a thing taken place as far as the feud's recorded history had shown. If Viper really had ordered one of his men to kidnap his little brother, he would be breaking one of the strictest taboos the councils of old had set in place, and there would be hell to pay. Bursting through the main chamber's double doors, Zane strode in, his black coat flying behind him as the elders turned to the young king, appalled by his abrupt and unannounced entrance.

"What is the meaning of this?" The eldest leader demanded, turning his attention to the fuming king, his own eyes narrowing at him. "Your majesty, you cannot just parade in here while the separate sessions have yet to conclude-"

"-Where is he!?" Zane roared, his anger escalating as he glanced around the room, not catching a single glimpse of Viper anywhere in sight, only furthering the man's guilt in his eyes. "Where is Viper!?'

"Lord Viper stepped out just moments ago to receive a transmission." The elder man said matter-of-factly, not at all a fan of the king's uncouth and aggressive behavior. "Now, if you would be so kind as to wait outside while we conclude our session, then perhaps-"

"-Enough, old man!" Zane roared again, clenching his fists as the others filed in behind him. Aster approached his king, placing a hand almost timidly on the man's arm he hoped Zane would be able to calm down. Especially if Viper showed his diabolical face before them, knowing in such a case Zane could very well completely lose himself in his rage.

"Your majesty, please, you have to stay calm." Aster instructed, doing his best to try and take control of the situation before it got completely out of hand. He'd done his best to tame the young king's anger as long as he had been serving as his advisor, and as tough as a challenge it had proved to be, Aster thought he had made progress getting him to keep himself under control. But now it seemed like all of his hard work had started to slowly unravel right in front of him. "You're making a scene."

"Might one of you please enlighten us to his majesty's current quarrel with Lord Viper?" An elderly woman questioned, her tone patient yet demanding as one would expect from a ruler of her age. Of course she as well as everyone else in attendance was aware of the feud, but she could tell there had to be a little more to this outburst than just that. Then, as if on cue they heard the click of the door in the back of the room. As everyone's eyes turned in the direction of the small noise, Zane's eyes narrowed as much as he could possibly manage as Viper reentered the room. Closing the door quietly behind himself as he entered, Viper saw the angered king opposite him, the tiniest chuckle escaping from his otherwise silent lips.

"Ah, his majesty King Zane returns to grace us with his presence." Viper mocked, the patronizing pettiness in his tone more than commonplace with the dictator in reference to the young king. Still, he frowned at the sight of his most hated enemy. "To what do we owe this… unexpected honor?"

"You!" Zane spat out, nearly hurling his body forwards at the imposing man, Aster grabbed fully onto the king's arm, doing the best he could to keep him in check despite his overwhelming rage. "What have you done with my brother!?"

"I beg your pardon?" Viper inquired, raising an eyebrow at the king, feigning ignorance though he was more than proud of what he had done, having only just given the order to have the little prince locked away in his dungeon, planning to keep the boy shut away like a trophy in a trophy case until he was able to bring the ninth dimension to its knees. As well, he had his own plans for the prince, and the great power he possessed. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You know full well, you _bastard!_ " Zane roared over the murmuring voices of the council, previously completely unaware of the concept of the little prince's recent abduction. "Where is he!?"

"What is the meaning of this?" The first dimension's ambassador demanded, standing from his seat around the large table he and the others had been seated at in the center of the room, appalled by what Zane was suggesting. "Just what are you suggesting, your majesty? Certainly Lord Viper would not go so far as to steal away your younger brother."

"I'm afraid it's true, your eminence." Sheppard spoke, stepping forward as even a single voice of reason in the turbulence of such an event. "I've foreseen this."

"Preposterous!" One of the leaders interjected, appalled as well that they were insinuating one of the exalted council members had committed such a villainous act. The little prince was defenseless and completely innocent of any wrongdoing. It would be downright evil of someone to inflict harm upon the lad, and in Viper's case, entirely in violation of the precepts the child's father had demanded put in place over the sixth dimension many years ago, when his children were both still young. Not a soul from either the sixth or ninth dimensions was to be granted access to the other under any circumstances, among more than a few other restrictions. But not only were they suggesting Viper had violated that law by sending someone to infiltrate the ninth dimension, but that he had also committed such a heinous crime as to abduct the ninth dimension's beloved prince while his majesty the king had not been even within his own borders. Such an insinuation was sickening.

"I'm afraid, ambassador, it is not." Sheppard stated plainly, thankful to see that even though Zane's rage had not subsided, he was doing quite well suppressing his urge to act on it in front of the entire dimensional council.

"It seems to me, your majesty. That in such an event as this, you yourselves are not entirely free of guilt or blame." Viper dared to insinuate. A bold statement for even him in such a place as the gathering of the dimensional council.

"Just what are you insinuating, Viper?" Zane interrogated, keeping his angry eyes narrowed at the dictator, though doing his best to suppress his deep rage over his little brother's abduction.

"Well, as this council is no doubt aware," Viper began, catching the attention of the remainder of the council as well "in the past, there have been multiple attempts to kidnap the young prince. And each time, those attempts failed."

"What is the point of this, Lord Viper?" the first dimension ambassador questioned, raising an eyebrow at the horrid leader. "Would you be so kind as to enlighten us?"

"My _point_ is, your eminence. That after all these years, it seems the glorious ninth dimension has lost its touch." A dark chuckle trailing off the end of his sentence, he mocked the young king's dimension with little care for the king's feelings, everyone knowing full well he could care less about anything other than his own agenda.

"I beg your pardon?" Zane glared, hating every single second spent listening to Viper spout his venom.

"It appears to me, exalted council, that if young, innocent little Syrus was indeed taken. It was because you and your soldiers were not sufficiently prepared to protect him." Viper accused, only further fanning the flames of Zane's rage. "Face it, your majesty. After so many years of success and peace, you've grown complacent. Lazy. And because of this, your brother was taken from you."

"How DARE you!?" Zane fired out, having half a mind to punch the dictator in front of the entire council had Aster not had the foresight to hold him back.

"Your majesty please, calm down!" Aster pleaded, beginning to fear for the remainder of the council's proceedings if all they were going to be was a long winded argument. He wanted this matter resolved as quickly as possible, but he wanted cooler heads to prevail as well. Though no matter what, he knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Crowler.." Atticus said, his voice lowering to a quiet hush, not wanting the entire room to hear what he had to say, even with all of the chaos going on around them. Able to hold himself together for the time being he pulled Crowler over to one side, still keeping an eye on the situation that was very quickly unfolding before them.

"Yes?" Crowler questioned, worried even more was wrong. "What is it? Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, Crowler, I'll be fine." Atticus shook his head at the esteemed chancellor, appreciative of his concerns even so. "Please. I want you to try and get this to Jaden and my sister." he explained, a thick layer of urgency in his slightly weary voice, though he was doing what could to remain strong amidst the onslaught of negative emotions swirling around him and overwhelming his senses. "I don't think Zane will be able to control his anger for very long. Someone has to try and get Syrus back, and I think Jaden and the others may be the only ones who can get it done."

"Are you certain?" Crowler questioned, already deeply concerned enough without thinking about what would happen if nothing could be done to right this wrong.

"I am." Atticus nodded back, thinking back on all Sheppard and even Crowler had shared with him about Jaden's journey since he and Alexis had left him. "He and Alexis saved me when it was just the two of them. With that large of a party, there has to be _something_ they can do.."

"I suppose.." Crowler thought aloud, honestly wishing none of this had ever happened. But of course, he knew better than that, after all his many years having gone by he knew life was more than a little unfair to those most deserving of its rare kindness. Nodding once more he knew the young man had more than a small point. "Very well. I'll speak with young Chazz, he should be able to get the message to Jaden." Placing a hand on Atticus's shoulder, Crowler gave the young man a concerned look of his own. "First, please allow me to escort you to the guest's quarters. You really must rest."

"Well… alright." Atticus conceded, glancing back to Zane and the others as he continued to shout and make a scene. Sighing quietly, he knew Crowler was right, but still he wished there was something he himself could do to help. "I guess Sheppard and Aster can take care of things here."

"Indeed they can." Crowler nodded again, turning Atticus back towards the door he led the young king-to-be away from the growing chaos. Getting him as far from the arguing and furious screaming as he could, Crowler felt much better knowing Atticus would be able to recover from the strain even just being away from home was no doubt causing him, still being in the stages of recovering from his capture and borderline torture that were only days behind him. Still, the boy was far tougher than Crowler gave him credit for and he knew that all the same. Leaving Atticus to rest, Crowler took his communicator from his coat pocket, stepping into his own guest room to speak to his boy in private.

* * *

Back in the temple's medical ward, Chazz sighed heavily, waiting patiently as the healers changed out the bandages covering the deep scratches and gashes he had suffered from Yubel's assault. Most of the little wounds had already begun to close and heal, but the deeper gashes still continued to bleed beneath the bandages. He hated needing to be there at all, much less needing to be patched up so much. As the healer carefully cleaned the dried and still slowly seeping blood from his chest, Chazz hissed sharply, a deep sting shooting through his pale body as the cleansing wash seeped into the slowly closing wounds.

"My apologies, young man." The healer said, being as careful as she could with the wounded warrior. Doing the best she could to avoid the slightly deeper cuts that were still yet to close, she made a point to finish quickly, sensing the boy's complete disdain for his current situation. Picking up a roll of fresh bandages she started to re-wrap his torso before swiftly doing the same for the scratches decorating his arms as well, choosing not to bring up the boy's multitude of old scars for fear of upsetting him. "Alright, you're free to go."

"Good." Chazz muttered, taking in the sight of his body all bandaged up and wounded like a novice entering the battlefield for the first time. He hated seeing himself like that. No matter the fact that the wounds had been more or less unavoidable considering their origin, but even knowing that didn't make him hate it any less. In fact, it made him hate it even more. Thinking about it reminded him of each and every day he received a new scar from his horribly abusive older brothers. And that wasn't something he ever wanted to think about again, really starting to regret ever letting the others in on that fount of knowledge. Sighing heavily, he reached for his shirt, vest, and gauntlets laid out beside him, taking the silken lavender shirt into his hands he stopped. Listening for a moment, he heard a quiet beeping sounding from his pocket. Putting his shirt back down by his side, Chazz reached into his pocket, pulling his communicator out he quickly switched it on, knowing only Crowler would be calling him now that he was away from their home dimension. He was also quite frankly curious why Crowler would be trying to contact him at all, knowing full well the man would be at the dimensional council now along with the other dimensional leaders. Watching as the holographic image of the esteemed chancellor appeared, Chazz waited for his answer. "Chancellor Crowler?"

"Yes, my boy. I apologize for the interruption, but there's something very important I must discuss with you." Crowler said, cutting right to the chase in regards to his current communication. Seeing the bandages covering the boy's exposed upper body, Crowler felt his chest tighten for a moment as a wave of worry washed over him, but he quickly shook the feeling off, knowing the boy wouldn't care for his worrying. Besides, he knew Chazz could take care of himself, and they had a much more immediate and serious situation to deal with anyway.

"What kind of something?" Chazz inquired, raising an eyebrow at the chancellor, expecting to be given further information. Crowler was never one to sidestep around a situation, and Chazz could tell from the overly serious tone in his voice that whatever he had to say was even more important than he was making it sound.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid." Crowler sighed, loath to even think about it, much less speak on the matter. "Evidently, it seems that some time late last night, one of Lord Viper's mercenaries infiltrated the ninth dimension, and was somehow able to abscond with young Prince Syrus.." Shaking his head in disappointment, he thought about all that had been happening around him lately, and almost none of it good.

"You're serious?" Chazz quickly questioned, shocked that such a thing could even be _possible_ even knowing as little as he did about the prince or the inner-workings of the ninth dimension.

"I'm afraid so." Crowler sighed, lamenting the little prince's unfortunate situation. If he could, Crowler would have traveled back in time and told Zane and Aster about it himself, but he knew the idea was ludicrous. Even so if he had half a mind, he would have taken the divine Ancient Gear cards entrusted to his ancestors and championed the rescue effort Atticus had beckoned he suggest to the children himself if he didn't know any better. Alas, he had left the battles of his younger days behind him. Crowler knew his lack of recent experience would only be a detriment to the children, but it pained the near middle-aged chancellor to know such a defenseless child was in danger. It just didn't sit right with him at all. "I had hoped it was only an accusation, but Grand Maester Sheppard confirmed the authenticity of the claim himself. Apparently, it seems that he foresaw this some time ago…"

"So? What are you telling _me_ this for?" Chazz inquired further, concerned for the little prince of course, but also confused as to why the esteemed chancellor felt the need to contact him of all people about it.

"Well, my boy, young Atticus requested that I bring this information to you and the rest of your party." Crowler explained, getting straight back to the whole point of the entire conversation before he let his concern having seen Chazz's clearly bandaged wounds take over instead. "He believes, that if the boy's to be saved, then you children are the only ones who could get it done before the situation gets any worse on the political end. And seeing what even just young Jaden and Alexis have accomplished, I happen to agree."

"So, you want us to sneak into Viper's fortress and rescue him? Just like that?" Chazz raised his eyebrow again at the chancellor, not entirely sold on the idea no matter what the intentions of it were. Sneaking into the sixth dimension in general he wasn't too jazzed about after what they had done back in the seventh, causing him to need to be rescued himself. Unfortunately, he was all too aware that it was going to have to be a group decision, and with Jaden on the team, he knew they were going to end up going through with it. "That's not something you just _do_ you know, Crowler."

"Yes, I know." Crowler nodded in agreement with the temperamental and ever realistic warrior. "We're trying to work things out on our end, trying to keep his majesty from declaring a war against Lord Viper over such an offense. In the past their ancestors were known to fight over much lesser crimes, so it's a possibility, however unlikely I'd like to think it is. His majesty is a logical man, but when it comes to Lord Viper and the old feud, he's known to let his family's vendetta drive his actions. And with his dear brother in harm's way, I'm worried he might let his anger drive him into making a irreversible mistake. So please, my boy. At least pass the information along to the others."

Sighing heavily, Chazz was starting to wish he had never followed Jaden and Alexis again. Honestly, he found himself thinking that a lot, but now he was starting to actually mean it. He wasn't one to often deal with other people's problems, especially if he had the chance to avoid doing so. As far as he was concerned, even having a debt he needed to pay wasn't a good enough excuse to get him to go on such a fool's errand normally, but if the situation really was a volatile as Crowler seemed to fear it could be, then he figured putting aside his reservations at least in part would probably be a good idea for now, just in case.

"Fine." He said, conceding to Crowler's request. "I'll tell them. But you know, I can't just go and promise we'll bring him back or anything like that, right?"

"Yes, yes, I know." Crowler nodded, completely understanding of the boy's logic. Even if they managed to find the young lad, there was no guarantee they would be able to liberate him without getting themselves captured as well. But still, he was thankful for even the idea that they would at least try. "Even so, please know that my thoughts are with you. Young Atticus's as well. And for the sake of that poor, defenseless child. I implore you to at least try."

"With Jaden around, you won't have to worry about that." Chazz scoffed under his breath in response, knowing that Jaden's friendship with the tiny prince would be more than influential in their actions moving forward.

"Of course." Crowler chuckled, having been told of the friendship the two had forged when they first met. It was a sweet thing, perhaps it could come in handy. Catching another glimpse of Chazz's bandaged wounds, Crowler couldn't help but feel his chest tighten with worry again, worried equally about how such a thing had been caused as well as having just about sent him into another great danger. "Be safe, my boy. Please."

"You know me, Crowler." Chazz chuckled, shaking his head at the chancellor for a moment, a cheeky smirk crawled across his face. "I always am." Deactivating his communicator, Chazz shoved the small device back into his pocket. Snatching his shirt back up from its spot beside him again he threw it back on, tucking it back into his deep purple ribboned sash belt, reequipping his silver gauntlets, the puffed ends of the long lavender sleeves he wore tucked neatly under the silver colored metal. Satisfied now that the bandages decorating his body were sufficiently covered, Chazz strode out of the infirmary after throwing his vest back on as well, a new mission given to him, he headed back to the guest quarters. Assuming that's where the others probably were most likely, and now that Jesse had been released from the medical ward they were probably all fussing over him. Rolling his eyes at the thought, Chazz honestly thought it strange how quickly they had all taken to each other. Even Jim and Hassleberry, who they had only just met not long ago at all, the previous night even. If he were that kind of man, Chazz would've thought it was some kind of destiny thing, like the group had been destined to come together, but to him, all that stuff had always just seemed like bullshit in all honesty. Though, after all the things he'd seen since Jaden came along, a tiny part of him was starting to think maybe there was some stock in it after all.

 _"Whatever."_ He thought, shaking off the annoying thought as he approached the quarters, down the hallway he could hear the others talking up a storm, and clear as day he could hear Bastion scolding them for one thing or another. Rolling his beautiful black eyes at the uptight acolyte, Chazz noticed Alexis walking down the opposite end of the corridor, no doubt on her way to yell at the boys for being loud, but Chazz knew for a fact what he had to say was more important than whatever it was she was planning to.

"Hey." He said, catching her attention she glared back at him, the concern she had for him before all but faded now that he was on the mend. And in its place, her disdain for him was starting to resurface.

"What do you want?" She interrogated, stopping as she reached the door blocking them from the rest of the group, crossing her arms as she prepared for whatever nonsense he would spout.

"Crowler just called." Chazz answered plainly, not about to waste time arguing with her like he normally wouldn't have had a problem doing. "We've got a situation to deal with."

"...What kind of situation?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the warrior, her curiosity starting to out-way her disdain for him.

"You'll find out." He answered, turning to the door as he reached for the handle, not even bothering to knock before letting himself in. As he expected, the boys had all been talking up a storm, probably going on about friendship or some other stupid thing. Rolling his eyes at the group he couldn't even bring himself to be surprised that Jesse had practically attached himself to Jaden, holding on to his arm like a lovesick little girl. Of course, he had already heard through the grapevine about their little smooch in the medical wing while he was being patched up. A few of the healers had been gossiping about it after one of them had caught a glimpse of the two before Jesse was discharged. But even hearing about it for the first time, he still hadn't been too surprised. Something about it just seemed to fit in Chazz's eyes. It was a strange thing, but he didn't care to think about it too much. Clearing his throat for a second, he caught their attention, the loud socializing coming to a stop.

"Listen up." Chazz commanded, not about to waste time with pleasantries or meaningless conversations at the moment. "We've got a problem. A pretty damn big one"

"I beg your pardon?" Bastion questioned first, raising an eyebrow at the raven haired warrior. Surely after what they had just gone through they wouldn't be faced with something else so soon. Or at least, that's what he wanted to believe.

"What kind of problem, mate?" Jim added, patting Shirley on the head for probably the hundredth time in the last hour alone. He really wasn't sure what he and Hassleberry would do now that they probably should stay away from their own dimension for a while. Staying with these guys seemed like a decent idea to him, at least for a little while until he could figure out some kind of plan, though he wanted to discuss it with the muscular youth first before making a decision, after all it was his own fault they were both fugitives now anyway.

"Lord Viper's kidnapped Prince Syrus. To put it simply." Chazz informed, not bothering to skirt around the problem. The shocked expressions on everyone's faces as the news reached their ears was telling enough to him that they were going to have to go after the little boy. Of course, Hassleberry looked a little more confused than shocked. Though, having been a military experiment for two years, and the past he had, it wasn't too surprising to think he might not know who the little prince was. But there would be time enough to explain it to him later, assuming he and Jim decided to tag along, which Chazz figured all things considered would be fairly likely. "Crowler just called me. Apparently everyone's making a whole big scene over it, and he and Prince Atticus want us to try and do something about it if we can."

"Y-You're kidding..!" Jaden practically gasped, his wide eyes filling with concern for the young prince. The boy was the only one who thought to treat him kindly while he was in the ninth dimension, and the two had become almost instantaneous friends. The little one was good and kind from the inside out. Powerful in spirit and abilities, yet he was small and fragile. It tore Jaden up inside to think about his friend in danger, and knowing about the feud between the ninth and sixth dimensions, the repercussions would be even greater than your average kidnapping. "There's no way!"

"Are you serious?" Alexis questioned, a deep concern in her voice as she thought about the possibility of it being true. She had known Syrus and Zane for a very long time, and in all the time she'd known them nothing like this had _ever_ happened. Of course, there had been attempts at kidnapping little Syrus in the many years past, but none had ever actually succeeded before. Although, with what had happened to her brother, she was a little more inclined to believe it was possible than she would've liked to admit even just to herself.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have told you." Chazz scoffed in response to her question. He was generally a very serious guy when it came to stuff like this, years of training and actually _being_ a great warrior back home had more or less taken most if not all of his childish tendencies out of him. Any left after years of relentless abuse, anyway. If he hadn't meant what he said, he wouldn't have said it at all. Being the same way, Chazz was a little surprised that she didn't seem to understand that.

"Well, you're right." Jim spoke up, actually fairly learned about the affairs of most of the other dimensions apart from his own. And as such, he had a decent idea of just how bad the relationship between nine and six was and had been for generations. "That's really not good. If anything else goes down to provoke King Zane then his majesty just might have the grounds to declare a war on Lord Viper if he's so provoked. Tensions have been brewing between the two dimensions for a very long time, and kidnapping the prince just might end up being the final straw. And if that happens, the council won't be able to do a single thing about it."

"And since the fifth dimension has a strong alliance with the ninth, it'll get dragged into the whole mess too.." Alexis said softly, starting to worry even more with the rising possibility that her brother could be put through even more grief and pain than he already had been by her own hands. Everything seemed like it was starting to come apart around her, and she hated it so much. Everything was just so wrong.

"Then Yubel might get everything she needs…" Jesse whispered, quietly to himself, realizing just how grim the future was beginning to look to him. Assuming they would even _have_ a future when all of this was said and done. A resolve appearing in Jesse's emerald eyes, he squeezed Jaden's arm tighter, beckoning the brunette to meet his gaze. "Jaden, we have to do something!"

"I know, Jess." Jaden nodded, deeply concerned for his friend. If there was anything he could do to even _try_ to help, he wanted to do it. "I wanna get him back home safely too."

"No, no, it's not just that!" Jesse shook his head, not surprised the precious brunette hadn't been listening to him before, since only he would have been able to hear his quiet whispers. "Jaden, I think Yubel might be the one who's _really_ behind this."

"W-What?" Jaden gasped, pulling away from his crush for a second as he tried to comprehend the idea. Still, it really wasn't making too much sense to him.

"That demon lady?" Hassleberry chimed in, also trying to get as firm a grasp on just what the hell was going on as he could with the absolute zero knowledge he had on just about everything that was happening around him.

"Seems like it, mate." Jim nodded, gathering the bits and pieces he could understand of the situation. The name was familiar of course, hearing it thrown around more than once in the little encounter they had all managed to make it through before. But honestly being as grossly uninformed as they were, it was difficult to be sure of anything even with Jaden, Jesse, and Bastion making a solid attempt to explain it to them earlier to little avail honestly, though Jim had certainly picked up more of it than Hassleberry did.

"Yes, that's her." Bastion confirmed, glad to see they were at least somewhat beginning to understand what was going on having been thrust right into the thick of things. "Now, go on, Jesse."

"Right." Jesse nodded, turning back to Jaden. "Look, Jaden. While I was unconscious, and the spirits told me how you had summoned Neos? Well, they told me something else too. But I wasn't sure about it until now."

"What?" Jaden asked, growing even more concerned as he noticed the look in Jesse's flawless eyes.

"They told me they could feel the dimensional bonds starting to get weaker." He worriedly explained, thinking over every single detail of the more one-sided conversation that he could remember. "If the bonds break, the veil would fall, and all twelve dimensions would cave in on each other and be destroyed! Think about it, Jaden. Yubel's looking for revenge on humanity for forsaking her, _and_ the celestials for imprisoning her for all those years."

"So, what you're saying is…"

"If Yubel wanted the bonds to break, it would be easiest for her to attack them where they were already weak." Alexis interpreted, realizing as well as the others around her just how serious this was. Even beyond just a simple princely kidnapping. "Meaning, Yubel could have influenced Viper into kidnapping Syrus. Provoking the ninth dimension into retaliation that would drag their allies into the fighting too. Meaning, that if we don't get Syrus back, Yubel's success is virtually assured…"

"Exactly." Jesse nodded, fearful himself of what the future was going to hold for them.

"Well that settles it then!" Hassleberry declared, slamming his fist down on the coffee table beside him, he stood from his seat beside Jim and Shirley, his eyes flashing swiftly back and forth from their regular state to a more reptilian style as a fire started deep within his dark hazel eyes. "We've gotta get down to Viper's base and rescue the little guy!"

"Easier said than done." Chazz replied, ever the realist as he was. "We can't just waltz in there and take him back."

"Agreed." Bastion nodded, cupping his bottom lip between the joint of his pointer finger and his thumb as he thought through their extremely limited options. "He's bound to be held deep within Viper's fortress. To actually manage to reach him undetected would be nothing short of a miracle. Besides, after what we've just been through, I would rather not risk such a thing. I've already failed to look after Jesse once. If something else should happen on my watch, I doubt the divine dragon would forgive me.."

"C'mon, Bastion!" Jesse argued, though he did sympathize with the brit's concerns. But this was about so much more than just that. "I'm sorry I put myself in that situation, but it's not your fault. _Or_ yours, Jaden. I know we've been through this already."

"Perhaps, but I would still be much more comfortable with this if we had an actual plan." Bastion sighed, shaking his head at the bluenette. He didn't _want_ the prince to be harmed, or for a war to start. And he _especially_ didn't want Yubel to succeed in whatever dark and twisted plan she could be concocting, especially if it involved destroying all life as they knew it. But he still couldn't help but worry for their own safety as well…

"Me too, but given the circumstances there really isn't time." Alexis admitted, also wishing someone had even a remote idea of how to go about this. Although, she and Jaden had pulled off some rescues without a legitimate plan before. Of course Jaden _had_ come up with an idea when they were trying to rescue Atticus, but it honestly wasn't too terribly much of an actual _plan._ "Besides, you heard Jesse. If anything else were to happen to provoke Zane towards starting a war to try and get his brother back, Yubel could very well end up getting exactly what she wants, and we'll all die. We're going after him."

"Exactly!" Jaden added, feeling a bit of his gung-ho spirit return at the thought of getting his dear friend back safe and sound. "Besides, it's my job to stop Yubel anyway. Which means, I _have_ to go no matter what!"

"Meaning so do the rest of us." Chazz sighed heavily, not too fond of the idea of breaking into Viper's fortress in all honesty. Shaking his head for a moment, he threw his arms up almost in frustration, but more so at himself for actually going along with it. "What the hell. Why not?"

"You know I'll go with you, Jaden." Jesse smiled, gently intertwining their fingers as he offered the brunette a soft smile, more than happy to accompany him even on a mission as dangerous as this could very well prove to be. "Which also means Bastion has to come. Okay?"

"Very well…" Bastion sighed, conceding to the bluenette's statement, though he was still deeply unsure about the prospect of such an incursion. Though he knew his objections to their lack of strategic planning wouldn't change their minds. They all seemed to be more spur of the moment thinkers to him anyway.

"What about you two?" Jaden asked, turning his attention to Jim and Hassleberry for a moment. "We could use the extra help, if you'd like to stick with us?"

"I reckon so." Jim nodded, taking Hassleberry's previous declaration as proof enough of the boy's intentions. Chuckling quietly under his breath, he looked to Shirley snuggled up next to him, fully content with her lot as long as she was still with Jim, not at all phased by the idea of going on a quest. As long as she could protect him, she couldn't care less what was going on around her. "And I think Shirley here agrees."

"Well, we appreciate the help." Jesse chuckled, trying not to let his worry show too much. The situation looked grim as it stood now, that was true. But if there was anything he was sure of, it was that no matter what happened going forward, Jaden would find a way to pull through. The brunette, despite having been born through celestial magic to be a warrior against Yubel's great evil, he was still just a simple human at his core. A simple human the gods would use to channel their power through, but with a spirit he couldn't sense in any of their other companions. That spirit made Jesse love the brunette even more, but also boosted his belief in him. Belief that alongside Jaden, there was nothing they couldn't do.


	19. An Unexpected Ally

_**-Chapter 19-** _

With great caution and trepidation, Jaden stepped through Sapphire Pegasus's portal, leading the group as they took their first steps into the nearly forbidden sixth dimension. Even just standing there in the woods, Jaden could feel the malevolence in the air around them. To be honest, it didn't surprise him one bit that other dimensions had problems with this one. The whole place just _felt_ evil.

"I swear, why does _every_ portal we take spit us out into the middle of the woods!?" Chazz groaned, annoyed that they were once again stuck in the middle of nowhere, and on top of that, he was just frustrated by the simple fact that they were even in the sixth dimension to begin with. He was totally down for rescuing the little prince, especially if it meant potentially thwarting Yubel and saving all of existence. But he still wasn't too partial to the idea of doing all of it on Viper's turf.

"Well, you see Chazz, from what I've learned from my own studies, it seems that most often times, the dimensional veil is thinnest at a distance from large populations." Bastion explained, laying down some generally basic knowledge about dimensional travel he would have assumed most everyone would already have known. After all, it did seem to be fairly common knowledge. "Of course, those rare few like Prince Syrus, who can breach the veil wherever is needed may be able to pinpoint more specific and unconventional destinations should the need be dire."

"Sure. Whatever." The raven haired warrior disregarded. His remark was more an air of his grievance than a request for an actual answer, so to be honest, he really couldn't have cared less about what Bastion had to say.

"Alright, focus." Alexis scolded as she narrowed her eyes at the two chatter boxes. She didn't want to spend any more time in that place then they had to, and her tolerance levels for bullshit were just about nonexistent already. Needless to say, she was becoming even more of a no nonsense woman than she already had been by the minute. "We're here to rescue Syrus, not stand around complaining about the woods and discussing the minutiae of inter-dimensional travel. Now, Viper's fortress shouldn't be too hard to find since it's absolutely massive from what I hear. But we have to be quick and efficient. He's not gonna just give Syrus up all nice and easy."

"No, of course not." Jaden nodded in agreement, starting to worry for the little bluenette all over again. Feeling Jesse's fingers curl between his own, he looked back at the emerald eyed beauty, the gentle smile on his face as the two held each other's hands offered Jaden a small comfort in the midst of all of his worries and anxieties about what the future would hold for them. He certainly welcomed Jesse's kind company.

"Well, I reckon we'd better get moving then." Jim observed, looking around at their surroundings, he too could feel the malevolence in the air around them. On his back, Shirley squirmed and growled, hating the atmosphere around her just like the others did. The only thing keeping her from causing a scene was the simple fact that Jim was there with her, and that he was safe. So long as the man wasn't in any immediate danger, she knew she would be able to keep her cool despite how much she wanted to just go crazy.

"Jim's right." Hassleberry agreed, starting to feel a little strange being in that place himself. If he didn't know any better he would've said he could actually feel his eyes changing their forms back and forth, his animal side starting to become more agitated by the thick and dark aura covering the surrounding area. He wanted to offer them his aid in saving the prince since they had saved him and Jim, but honestly he worried that if they couldn't get this all sorted soon, he wouldn't be able to keep himself in check long enough to complete the mission with all of the darkness around them sending his animal instincts into a tizzy. "Doesn't seem like we're gonna have much time to lollygag about."

"Agreed." Chazz nodded, actually finding the new additions to the group to have more sense than he thought. Uncrossing his naturally crossed arms, he walked past the group, intent on getting this over with as fast as possible, if only to be sure Crowler didn't have to spend too much time inevitably sitting around fretting over him like he usually seemed to do when he went out on a mission, though he'd never had to rescue royalty before. Gesturing for the group to follow, he managed to still maintain his cold and distant demeanor despite how he was honestly starting to grow a little fonder of the party than even he expected to. "Let's mosey."

* * *

"Let me go!" Syrus demanded in frustration, struggling against the burly soldiers dragging him through the fortress' dark and quite frankly freezing dungeon. Having been unbound upon being passed over to the fortress guards by Axel, he'd had his chance to try an escape with his portals but before he could do a thing he'd been thwarted once again which was increasingly more annoying the more he thought about it. Though having his hands rebound in front of him rather than behind his back was certainly preferable. Somehow there was more remaining dignity in it to him, though also being dragged around like a child's security blanket eliminated almost all of the dignity he thought for even a second that he still had.

"How many times do I have to tell you to shut up!" The soldier to his right spat out, yanking the small prince further down the dungeon corridor, dragging him around by his bound wrists, the soldier wrapped his large, meaty hand tighter around the prince's tiny wrists. The two men were growing ever weary of the little prince's struggles and annoying periodic demands to be released. A minuscule cry escaped from Syrus's lips at the forceful forward pull he would've fallen were it not for the soldier's tight grip on him.

"I'd keep quiet if I were you, _highness._ " The other soldier mocked, fiddling with the ring of keys he held in his hands, isolating a particular one before shooting the bluenette a slight glare of his own. "Or if you'd prefer to keep yapping, we can always just gag you again. Your choice."

 _"Um, no. I actually wouldn't prefer that."_ Syrus thought to himself, daring not to speak again he shook his head in response, really not liking that idea. To be fair, he wasn't exactly a fan of his situation to begin with anyway.

"And don't even think about trying to use that annoying little 'power' of yours." The soldier chuckled darkly as they approached the deepest cell block, the dark heaviness in the air somehow growing even heavier the further they went. "If you haven't noticed, there's an anti-magic field around the entire fortress. And Lord Viper's had it calibrated _just_ for you. See it's set to dampen your annoying little powers."

"Meaning, no portals for you, _highness._ "

Chuckling to themselves, the soldiers dragged Syrus down to the end of the corridor where they reached the deepest kept cell. Reaching for the keys he held once more, the left soldier strolled up to the heavy iron bars, fiddling with the lock for a moment before the door screeched and creaked open. Struggling as best he could, Syrus pulled against the soldier's hold on him, though he knew with how small and weak his body was, his struggles weren't going to be very effective. Dragging the little bluenette over to the iron cage, chuckling quietly to himself, he threw the young prince down onto the cold stone ground of the cell, a small cry tearing itself from Syrus's lips from the impact of his fragile body on the hard ground.

"Welcome to your new home, your highness." The soldier with the keys chuckled, slicing the boy's bonds off, the two soldiers grabbed Syrus by the arms before he even had the chance to stand. Hoisting him up from the ground, the two forced him onto the stone bench in the back of the cell, forcing his little wrists into the shackles on the wall on either side of his body. Locking the iron manacles in place around his wrists as Syrus pulled against them all he could, but swiftly he surrendered to the futility of trying to struggle any more.

"Better get used to the view." The soldier chuckled, securing another pair of shackles around the boy's ankles, further restricting Syrus's little body to be absolutely sure he wouldn't be going anywhere. "Because these bars are the only thing you'll see for a long time."

"My brother will put a stop to this." Syrus countered, maintaining what little of a calm and elegant composure he could muster. He had faith that once his brother learned of his abduction, Zane would do whatever he had to to see him rescued. So no matter how honestly scared he was on the inside, he wouldn't give these villains the satisfaction of seeing his fear for themselves, determined not to bring any more shame onto their family than he already had in his adorable gray eyes. "I don't think I'll be here as long as you think."

Growling under his breath at the little prince, the ruder of the two soldiers shot Syrus an irritated glare. Had they not been ordered to leave the boy unharmed he would have allowed himself to strike the little one. But still he snarled at the boy, tired of his annoying chatter.

"I told you to keep quiet, kid!" He said, angrily stepping closer to the restrained bluenette. Pulling out a thick cloth from a pocket on his armor he caught a glimpse of Syrus's eyes widening a little at the realization of what was about to happen. "But it looks like you need a little help with that." Joining in the act, the second soldier stepped forward, grabbing a fistful of Syrus's light aqua hair he forced the prince's head back, a quiet cry escaping from the boy's lips. Not giving him another moment to speak, the soldier tied the thick cloth he held tightly over Syrus's mouth, finally muffling his annoying chatter.

"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you, highness."

Chuckling darkly to themselves, the soldiers left the cold cell, locking the heavy iron door behind them they left the little prince locked up in the dark. Sitting there in chains, Syrus sighed quietly to himself as he lowered his head in shame, hating himself for winding up locked up in their enemy's dungeon. If he had only been able to get away when he had the chance, none of this would have ever happened. But he was too slow and weak to even have the chance to try. As much as he wanted to think it wouldn't be true, he knew his brother would never forgive him for disgracing their family like that… disgracing _him_ …

_"I'm sorry, Zane…"_

* * *

In the brush and back woods on the outskirts of Viper's vast and extensive grounds, Axel wandered in the shadows, a wish for vengeance growing in his heart. And a wish to bring Viper down.

 _"He's gonna wish he never cast me out."_ He thought to himself, reflecting on what had happened back when he first brought Viper his pet prisoner. He felt like something had been screwy from the start, the entire mission hadn't sat right with him, and once he saw how small and defenseless the little prince was, Axel could feel deep within himself for once in his life that what he was doing was wrong. The prince's body was so small and frail, but still he could feel something strong within him. There had to be more to the prince's kidnapping than even Axel had been told. Still, he had a new goal now.

"If I can find that old tunnel, there won't be a thing they can do to stop me."

Wandering further, Axel kept his eyes out for any signs of the alleged secret tunnel. If he could find it, he would be able to sneak back into the fortress dungeon undetected. But that was precisely the issue. It was a _secret_ from a long long time ago, long before even Viper's time. No one knew where the tunnel was or even if it was real or not. No one had ever escaped from Viper's fortress before, not in over two centuries, and no one ever found the escape route. That was when the story of the secret tunnel originated. Counting on what truth he believed there was in the story, Axel searched for it, hoping the old story was true, and he could steal the young prince back to spite Viper for banishing him.

 _"Damn thing's gotta be around here somewhere.."_ Axel thought to himself, sifting through every piece of land around him to try and find a single sign of the legendary secret tunnel. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, Axel heard a rustling from somewhere nearby. Quickly hiding himself behind one of the many trees around him, Axel kept his eyes on his surroundings, looking and listening for any sign of people around since he figured that was the most likely scenario. Listening intently, he could hear voices approaching slowly from the eastern edge of the woods, coming directly his way. A large group by the sound of it.

 _"The hell…?"_ Axel thought, watching as he saw the group start to appear through the trees. They seemed to be a motley crew, it was easy for him to tell they were all from several different dimensions, having traveled through the majority of them several times in the past. It was strange for him to see such a mismatched group of people wandering about the outskirts of the sixth dimension together. Yet at the same time, it more or less revealed to him the purpose of their visit.

"We've been wandering around for hours!" Jaden whined, starting to get antsy having not yet found their way out of the woods, wasting time while his dear friend was in danger. "Are you sure we haven't just been going around in circles?"

"What kind of a question is that? _Yes_ , I'm sure I'm sure!" Chazz nearly shouted, his eye beginning to twitch in frustration with Jaden's annoying questions. The warrior led the group through the woods, assuring them that even though he had never set foot in the sixth dimension before, he knew where he was going and what he was doing. Alexis rolled her eyes at their arrogant navigator, just glad they had enough competent members in their team to cancel out Chazz's idiotic tendency to occasionally feel the need to prove how good he was in almost every situation. "We haven't passed this area even once!"

"Well uh, not to be _that guy_ or anything but... " Hassleberry spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the warrior as he recalled a very important fact "literally none of us have been here before. You couldn't possibly know the land well enough to make that call for sure."

"Oh yeah, well I don't see _you_ stepping up to be the navigator, dino boy!" Chazz exclaimed, swiftly whirling around to face the muscular youth, his twitching eye twitching even more as he waved his fist in the air in frustration.

"No, but I _do_ have stronger instincts than you do!" Hassleberry countered, his eyes flashing reptilian for a quick second, bearing his teeth at Chazz, who was honestly really starting to get on his nerves as he was sure the others could agree. "Probably a better sense of direction too, from the look of it."

"Oh yeah!?"

"Alright, that's enough." Bastion scolded, stepping in between the two quarreling teens. Not surprised an argument had already managed to break out, but still he had little patience for such behavior. "This is no time to stand around squabbling."

"Bastion's right." Jim added, reaching back and patting Shirley on the head, feeling her start to squirm in her carrier on his back. "I think Shirley senses something nearby."

"Seems like it." Jesse nodded, holding Jaden's hand as they were walking, he gave the brunette's hand a squeeze. Narrowing his eyes at the two arguers, Jesse lowered his voice to a hushed yet stern whisper. "So keep it down already! You could give away our position!"

Hearing a rustling from behind him, Chazz turned back forward on his heels, mentally kicking himself as his eyes beheld the sight of the sixth dimension mercenary stepping out from the brush, his strong and hardened eyes narrowing at the group ahead of him. Swiftly taking a step forward, Alexis raised her hand to Chazz, smacking him as hard as she could on the back of his head.

"Dammit, Chazz!" She scolded, planting her hands on her hips, she couldn't help but take her frustration out on him. Besides, as far as she was concerned he deserved it. He always did in her eyes. "Look what you did!"

"What _I_ did!?" Chazz scoffed, annoyed that she had deigned it necessary to hit him yet again, though at the same time he wasn't at all surprised by it by that point. Honestly just so long as she wasn't trying to run him through with her sword, he would prefer she hit him with her hands to most anything else should she feel the need to strike him with. Of course, he really would prefer she not strike him at all. It was starting to get really old.

"Who are you?" Jaden asked the stranger, placing his arm protectively in front of Jesse, unsure if the stranger was dangerous or not but not willing to risk his partner's safety. "What do you want?"

"I think _I'm_ the one who should be asking _you_ that." Axel corrected as he examined the group further, not exactly impressed if he was being honest. "You guys aren't exactly from around here, you know."

"And just how do you know that?" Alexis inquired, more than ready to draw her sword at a moment's notice should the need arise.

"Because if you were in the city, you'd all stand out like sore thumbs." Axel scoffed, definitely less and less impressed by the second. But still, it was entirely possible that they could prove useful to him in his mission, so he tolerated their incompetence. "You'd probably be imprisoned on top of that. We don't take kindly to visitors here."

"Well then, why haven't you tried to attack us?" Hassleberry questioned, raising an eyebrow at Axel, starting to feel a little concerned. "What do you want?"

"Simple." Axel answered "You're here to rescue the prince. Right?"

"What makes you think that?" Jesse inquired, repeating Alexis's question as he and the others were starting to get more confused than concerned.

"Because people don't just come to the sixth dimension." Axel replied, stating the pure facts of the matter as he was apt to doing. "Not unless they have a really good reason, or no other choice."

"And if we are?" Jim added, wary of the man just as the others were. "You gonna try and stop us?"

"Not exactly." Axel answered, shaking his head at the ever wary team of misfit warriors. His eyes stern as they had ever seen in a person before, he looked them over again, sensing a strong light within the brunette and the emerald eyed beauty. There was something more to them than the rest, it was strange but somehow he knew he could trust them. No matter how incompetent and dysfunctional they all seemed to be. "Because I'm trying to rescue him, too."

"You are?" Jesse asked, wrapping his arms around Jaden's again, he peeked forwards towards Axel, not at all expecting him to say something like that. "But why? If you're from this dimension, then shouldn't you be happy he's Viper's prisoner?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Axel chuckled, turning his back on the merry band. "But that's where you're wrong."

"Well then what's your deal? Got some kind of problem with Viper or something?" Alexis interrogated, more or less demanding an answer from the mysterious man since he didn't seem to be too fond of answering their questions directly in a timely manner, and time wasn't exactly something they had too much of.

"You could say that." Axel chuckled under his breath, turning just slightly to look back at the blonde beauty, a deep frown plastered on his face at even just the thought of that villainous man. "But whatever. If you people really want to get that runt of a prince back, you'd better come with me. Since it seems you all have hopelessly terrible senses of direction."

"Well why don't _you_ try navigating through the middle of nowhere in a dimension you've never even seen before!" Chazz fumed, terribly insulted by Axel's insinuation, especially since he'd taken enough flack from the others about their location already.

"Too bad I've seen 'em all, then." Axel chuckled at Chazz's outburst, taking a small amount of joy in pissing the young warrior off in all honesty.

"Why would you help us?" Jaden questioned, very confused as to what his reasoning was. But also deep down, he could feel that Axel carried a guilt within himself. And an uncertainty about something he had done that wasn't sitting right with him. "Why do you care what happens to Sy, anyway?"

Standing there in silence for a moment, everyone could feel the tension in the air around them, no one daring to speak and break the thick wall of silence between them. The mere moments seemed to stretch for hours on end, maybe even longer. No one dared hardly move until Axel spoke again.

"Because I was the one who kidnapped him in the first place."

The entire group froze as the words reached them, they could hardly believe what he had said. There they were, in the middle of trying to find and rescue their dear princely friend, and yet also, there in front of them was the little prince's kidnapper himself. Had they deigned it necessary they'd've all attacked him at once, or turned him over to the dimensional council to answer for such a serious crime. But the only thing they could think of was how strange the whole situation was. This was the man who was sent by Viper to abduct Syrus, breaking into his castle and absconding with him before anything could be done to stop it. But there he was telling them that now he was trying to _save_ the young, defenseless prince. It really didn't make any sense to them, and they were more confused than they were shocked oddly enough.

"Y-You what?" Bastion managed to choke out, probably more shocked than the rest of them were. The Brit just couldn't seem to get past the whole 'kidnapping royalty' part of the story, despite the fact they had already been told that he was trying to rescue the poor lad.

"Yeah, I did." Axel admitted, turning a deep glare the Brit's way, clenching his fists tightly as the uncertainty he held within himself began to creep up on him once again. "But now that's all past. Now if you or his majesty ever wanna see the prince again, I'm gonna be your best shot."

"But why?" Jim asked, taking a step closer to the ever more mysterious man, his perpetually equipped lab coat fluttering in the growing breeze around them. His only eye narrowing as he searched for an answer. "If you really were the one who took the prince, then why would you just up and decide to rescue him? Why betray your own master?"

"Because he's not my master anymore." Axel growled, an anger seeping through his words. Clearly, he didn't want to talk about it, whatever had happened to change his mind. "He turned on me. So now I'm turning on him. Good enough for you?"

"For now." Jim nodded, his calm aura gently calming the growling Shirley, having had herself convinced the strange man was a threat to her precious Jim. "But you'd better not think we won't ask you to explain yourself another time."

"Then ask me again later."

"Well, whatever your reason is, if you wanna help Syrus, then I'm willing to trust you." Jaden said. Placing his free hand on Jesse's as the bluenette held his other arm, Jaden nodded to Axel, feeling within his heart that the man's intentions were good, as mysterious as they were. "As long as you can actually help us."

"Well, that depends on whether or not we can find the secret tunnel into the fortress's dungeon." Axel explained, honestly glad that at least one of them was willing to give him the time of day without questioning his every word now. He was starting to grow rather weary of that.

"Secret tunnel?" Hassleberry asked, his confused expression not having changed or left his face since the conversation began. Jim had taken him through a similar kind of thing when he broke him out of the military testing facility back home, so he was at least familiar with the concept.

"That's right."

"Well it sounds to me like you don't actually know where it is?" Chazz observed, crossing his arms as he shot an unenthused glance Axel's way. Not entirely fond of the idea of trusting the guy like Jaden of course was.

"No, I don't." Axel answered plainly, not at all about to waste time skirting around the accusation. It wouldn't do anyone any good. "That's why I'm looking for it, genius."

"I beg your pardon, but are you certain it even _can_ be found?" Bastion inquired, ever worried about the minutiae of the situation, and of course focusing on the worst case scenario.

"Well now that's just it, isn't it?" Axel scoffed at the acolyte, unamused by his continuation of the annoying questions. "That's what I've been trying to find out."

_"Kuri kuri!"_

"Huh?" Jaden asked quietly, turning to one side as the little spirit appeared by his side, bobbing up and down before floating into his face in an attempt to get the brunette's attention. Needless to say he was successful. "What's up, Kuriboh? Wanna help us look?"

"The hell is he talking to?" Axel questioned, raising an eyebrow at the strange brunette.

_"Kuri!"_

"You can? Well then, lead the way!" Jaden exclaimed eagerly. Bobbing happily, the small spirit sped off, doing his best to lead his master to find the way forward. Releasing his arm from Jesse's hold, Jaden wrapped his hand tighter around Jesse's, beckoning the others to follow as he ran forward, following Winged Kuriboh as closely as possible, pulling dear Jesse along with him. "C'mon, guys! Kuriboh thinks he can find that tunnel!"

"Uh, what?" Axel questioned, growing more confused by the second. Placing a hand on Axel's shoulder, Jim chuckled quietly to himself.

"I haven't known these kids too long myself, but I figure it's best to just go along with this stuff." Chuckling still, Jim took off as well as the others followed behind Jaden, leaving Axel to grow even more confused than he already was. He shows up and spills that he wants to rescue the little prince like they do, and almost immediately the strange kid just starts talking to the air and says he can find the secret tunnel?

"Seems a little too convenient if you ask me." Scoffing under his breath, Axel quickly pursued the ragtag group of morons. Whether he liked it or not, deciding to reveal himself to them more or less sealed his fate, he was going to have to help them now. But as strange as it all seemed to be, he could tell that in the end, he had made the right choice. Catching up to them in hardly a moment, he followed them as they themselves followed Jaden further through the woods. After what was probably only about ten minutes despite feeling like an hour, Jaden finally came to a stop before a large boulder haphazardly placed against the side of what looked to be a small cliff as if it had fallen from the level above. Looking around and seeing nothing, Jaden turned to Winged Kuriboh as the others caught their breath behind him.

"Are you sure there's something here, Kuriboh?" The brunette asked, further examining the area yet still finding next to nothing there.

_"Kuri!"_

"He seems pretty sure to me, Jay." Jesse said, stepping up to Jaden's side, he examined the scene as well, though not having any more luck finding something of interest than Jaden did. Stepping up to examine the scene as well, Alexis snooped around the cliff side, knocking her knuckles against the natural wall, she tried to see if she could detect a difference in the sound, like if there was a hollow section of the cliff somehow. Tuning out the bickering and speculating going on behind her she focused on her search, moving along the wall until she was beside the large, fallen boulder. Stopping in her tracks, she watched as her hair started to flutter, as if a breeze was blowing into her. But there was no breeze around them at that time.

"Hey guys!" She called, the various forms of chatter ceasing as she called for their attention. "I can feel a breeze coming from the cliff. I think there's something behind this boulder."

"Well that's one place to hide something." Chazz observed, honestly surprised none of them seemed to think of that before. Or if they did, they just didn't say anything about it. To be honest, he himself didn't pay it too much mind, so it was a little less surprising than he thought.

"Well then, we'd best find a way to move it!" Bastion asserted, taking a step forward to investigate the scene himself. Putting his gloved hand up to the edge between the boulder and the cliff face, he felt the weak breeze Alexis had discovered. "But I don't see how it can be done by our own devices…"

"You just let me handle that, son." Hassleberry chimed in, placing a strong hand on Bastion's shoulder, beckoning the others to stay out of the way. "Only one here strong enough to move the thing is me."

"Are you certain?" Bastion questioned. He was aware that Hassleberry wasn't any ordinary human being, in fact aside from Axel they were all in the know concerning that fact. But as well, they had never been witness to the boy's inhuman strength before.

"Sure am." Hassleberry nodded back in complete confidence. As the others backed away a short distance, Hassleberry approached the boulder, taking a deep breath he pushed against it with all of his might. Within seconds, they could see the large rock start to inch out of the way, the task seeming to hardly place any strain on the muscular child.

"Well I'll be damned." Axel marveled as the tunnel's entrance slowly appeared behind the moving boulder, for once impressed by something someone besides himself had done. "No one's been able to find this thing for a hundred years."

"Well lucky for you, Jaden's got a knack for making things convenient it seems." Alexis chuckled, thinking back on the time she had spent with the dumb brunette. It was a time she knew she would look back fondly on when all was said and done.

"There." Hassleberry panted, unaffected by the task on the outside, but he could feel his strength wavering for a moment within him. It seemed the small piece Yubel had managed to steal from him was going to make a difference after all. "It's open. Now let's get movin'!"

"Right." Jaden nodded, clenching his fist at the thought of Syrus being held prisoner any longer. "Sy needs us."


	20. The Point of No Return

_**-Chapter 20-** _

Cautiously walking through the old, musty tunnel, the group kept quiet. Keeping their eyes out for any potential threat that could have been lurking in the shadows after a hundred years of vacancy. Jaden and Jesse held each other's hands tightly, not about to create the possibility of them being separated somehow, though in such a small tunnel it seemed an unlikely outcome. Winged Kuriboh flew beside his master, trying hard to sense any danger around, but the dark aura of the dimension itself was making it difficult to detect almost anything. Jesse too, seemed to be affected by the looming darkness, his bright inner light not mixing well with the heavy aura surrounding them.

"So, this thing'll really take us all the way to Viper's dungeon?" Hassleberry asked, turning his gaze over to Axel, hoping that it was really true. They'd been walking down the dark tunnel for what seemed to be forever, and it would be really frustrating for it to be wrong.

"That's what they say." Axel answered plainly, keeping his eyes forwards, leading the group from the front, keeping the way lit with a little flashlight he had attached to his vest.

"Well then, let's hope these stories of yours are true, Axel." Jim said, looking back to Shirley for a moment to make sure she was doing alright in the nearly pitch black tunnel, revealing to Axel the bandages over his right eye that the brim of his hat had kept hidden from the mercenary until then. Tensing a little bit at the sight, Axel couldn't help but ask.

"What happened to your eye?"

"Oh, this?" Jim questioned, putting a hand gently up to the bandages over his eye, surprised no one had bothered to ask until now. "I lost my eye in an accident when I was a kid. Basically, I've been half blind for about ten years now."

"Oh. Uh… sorry about that." Axel replied, reaching back and awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, not entirely sure what to do with that information. He'd seen a lot of things over the years, and known people with plenty of different problems, but he'd never known someone who was hardly able to see before. Honestly the thought of being even slightly impaired was frightening to him, but not being able to see was just downright terrifying.

"Nah, it's not so bad." Jim shook his head at the apology, a small chuckle escaping from his lips at the thought of being apologized to in the first place. People had always done that when he told them about his eye, it was something he was used to. But still, something about the way Axel had said it was amusing to him. "Besides, I have Shirley here to look after me." Squirming on his back, Shirley let out a little growl, warning the new presence that if he tried anything funny or that could endanger her precious Jim, she would personally tear him to shreds with her teeth. Chuckling again, Jim patted Axel on the shoulder having noticed his wary glance to the growling croc on his back. "She's a bit protective, but she's a lovely girl."

"Uh… sure."

"Jaden, are you sure we can trust this Axel guy?" Jesse asked quietly, keeping his voice as low as he could to avoid Axel overhearing his mistrust. It wasn't that he didn't think the guy was on the up and up or anything, but that was exactly what he was thinking. The whole thing was just a little too convenient for Jesse's taste. "What if he's just leading us into a trap?"

"I don't think so, Jess." Jaden answered, giving the bluenette's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know it's weird, but I don't feel anything bad from this guy. I think he legitimately wants to help us rescue Sy."

"Maybe… but it just seems weird to me." Jesse shrugged in response, really just hoping they could get this all sorted out as soon as would be possible. "If he was the one who actually kidnapped him for Viper, I don't understand why he would just turn around and decide to rescue him, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get that. But whatever his reason, it's still his own business." Jaden replied, keeping his brown eyes focused on the mercenary as he led them through the dark tunnel. "You'll just have to ask him and hope he chooses to answer, I guess."

"Maybe.." Jesse sighed, just trying to alert his special one to the idea that maybe what they were doing wasn't exactly the best or smartest plan.

"Well, since we're questioning things at the moment..." Jaden began, honestly a little nervous to ask, though he knew he wouldn't stop being haunted by it until he did. "Is destroying Yubel... really the only way...?"

"What?" Jesse questioned, raising an eyebrow at the confused brunette. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"I dunno, it's just...whenever I think about it, it just..." Sighing, Jaden thought back on their last encounter with Yubel, how as angry as he was with her for hurting Jesse and causing everyone so much trouble, he was almost sad to see her in pain. "It doesn't sit right with me, that's all. It doesn't feel like it's the right thing to do..."

"Maybe not, Jaden, but it's what you were created for." Jesse sighed in return, not really understanding how Jaden could feel that was about someone so evil. But he did realize that even though it was fairly minimal, Jaden did have more life experience than he did, and the brunette also just had a innocent naivety to him that Jesse didn't. His actions were dictated by his emotions, and he had a very strong connection to those emotions, even if he didn't fully understand them. In a way, Jesse couldn't help but be jealous of that aspect of Jaden. He wanted to sympathize with Jaden's uncertainty, to offer him a better answer. But no matter how he tried, Jesse just couldn't see past all the darkness surrounding Yubel's soul. Still, what he _did_ understand was that Jaden was just that type of person. No matter what, the brunette would do anything in his power to help anyone, no matter what. And Jesse was prepared to assist him in any way he could. Such was his nature, after all. "I dunno, Jay. Maybe there _is_ some other way? But right now, I think we should focus on getting the prince back safely. We can worry about Yubel after that."

"Good point.." Jaden agreed, although the thought still lingered on unceasing. He wanted to help his friend, that much he could never ignore, but also he couldn't ignore the ever growing feeling within him that there had to be a way to stop her without completely destroying her. No matter how much he thought about it, it just didn't feel right.

"I still think this whole thing is a bad idea." Chazz mumbled under his breath, hating every second spent wandering around in the dark like rats. The whole thing just felt off to him, like they weren't supposed to be there, or like if they continued on, there would be no turning back again.

"You think _everything_ is a bad idea." Alexis mocked in response, growing very weary of his pessimism, though she had to admit to herself he almost had a point. Something in the air just didn't sit right with her either. But no way was she going to let him believe she actually agreed with him for once. "Just be quiet and walk."

"Whatever." He muttered back, resenting the fact that he had ever felt the need to repay his debt to her.

Reinstating the silence between the group, they kept walking for what felt like forever. In the darkness they all stayed close together, even Alexis and Chazz had managed to keep themselves quiet after their little exchange and attempt tolerating the other's fairly close proximity to one another, since the party didn't want to lose each other in the dark, despite how honestly difficult that would be with such a straight shot of a tunnel. Yet still, they knew anything was possible in places as old and untouched as these. Walking further, Jaden felt his head begin to spin. Stopping in his tracks, he closed his eyes for a moment, Jesse beckoning the others to stop as well.

 _"Jaden."_ The voice of Neos called out to him, the strong and powerful voice booming in his head as the others tried to rouse a response out of him, their own voices deafened by Neos's strong baritone. _"Be warned. This is the path of no return. Yubel is near, and beyond, your destiny awaits you. Be cautious my child, and hurry. The young prince must not fall into Yubel's hands. The universe depends on it."_

"Jaden!" Jesse called, shaking Jaden out of his little funk, the brunette looked around at the group, his eyes slightly widened in confusion having not been used to communicating with the celestials or spirits like Jesse was. The whole thing had taken him by surprise to be sure.

"Jess..?"

"What the hell was that about?" Chazz questioned, taking a step closer to the brunette, though Bastion threw his arm out before he could go any further, stopping him in his tracks. Shaking his head silently, the wizard silently warned him to leave the brunette be for now.

"I… I heard it." Jaden recalled, fully realizing what had just happened. "Neos' voice, in my head."

"What did he say?" Alexis asked, stealing Jesse's thunder before he could drop the question on his fellow celestial love.

"He said… this would be the point of no return…a-and that we can't let Yubel get a hold of Syrus. That the universe depends on it!" a mere second of silence passing between them Jaden felt a small twinge of pain in his chest. Gripping his chest for a second he gasped, realizing what the pain was warning him of. "She's here."

"Excuse me, what the hell is going on?" Axel asked, extremely confused though his tone was one more demanding than questioning. Before anyone could answer him however, the tunnel around them began to shake, and the dark aura surrounding them grew even thicker.

"Run!" Jaden commanded, grabbing Jesse's hand tighter than ever before he ran, leaving the others to follow behind.

"He's right, the place is gonna come down on top of us!" Jim reiterated, Shirley squirming and growling loudly on his back, demanding in the only way she could that they leave before her Jim could get hurt. Quickly giving her a reassuring pat, Jim tore off after Jaden and Jesse, the others immediately giving chase as the tunnel began to collapse around them, a dark and malevolent power bringing as much of it down as was possible. Sprinting through the darkness the party scrambled out of the way of the falling tunnel until they had successfully cleared the collapse.

"Now just what the hell was _that_!?" Hassleberry asked urgently, panting for a moment while he and the rest of the party took a moment to catch their breath.

"Yubel." Jaden answered, clenching his fist at the thought of her being nearby somewhere with Syrus around in need of their help, and no doubt in need of protection as well. Also, he was still extremely angry with the demon for bringing Jesse to harm, _and_ for what she had done to Alexis and her brother. He could never forgive her for that. "She's here somewhere. I could feel it."

"Well that's not good…" Alexis sighed, not exactly surprised by the collapsing tunnel anymore. In fact, the whole thing made just about perfect sense now.

"Okay, who's Yubel?" Axel asked, seriously starting to hate not knowing what the hell these people were talking about almost every time one of them spoke.

"We've little time for a full explanation now. But know that she is a being of pure evil. And must be stopped." Bastion explained, narrowing his eyes at the thought of encountering that monster again.

"Uh, sure." Axel nodded in response, not exactly satisfied but understanding of the vague answer given the circumstances. "Well anyway, that collapse got us to the end." Gesturing to what appeared to be a makeshift door or something of the sort "If the stories are right, we should already be in the dungeon."

"Well then, we'd better get moving." Jaden responded, giving Jesse's hand a squeeze as the group approached the exit, preparing themselves for the task to follow.

* * *

Meanwhile, after countless hours, the dimensional council continued on. With Zane growing more and more impatient and frustrated, as the council almost seemed to refuse to come to an agreement on what to do about the little prince's abduction. Unaware of the events Atticus and Crowler had previously set in motion. As the bickering amongst the council and Zane's roaring anger continued to consume the meeting hall, Viper could somehow sense that something was happening within his fortress. Something amiss, and yet the winds of fate he thought to still blow favor his way. Chuckling darkly to himself, Viper turned for the useless bickering about the room, taking his leave with no regard for the protests coming at him as the others realized he was going to depart.

"Pardon me, gentlemen. But I must step out for a time. It seems there is an urgent matter I must… take care of."

* * *

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Jaden asked, following closely behind Axel as he led them through the underbelly of Viper's fortress, the extreme concern he held for his dear friend only increasing the further in they went.

"For the hundredth time Jaden, _yes_ I'm sure I'm sure." Axel spat back, starting to get increasingly annoyed by Jaden's endless questions, especially considering it was more or less the same question being asked over and over almost every time they entered a new corridor. Of course, he couldn't fault the guy for being worried about his friend. Also, since he was the one who actually carried out the deed and kidnapped poor Syrus in the first place, Axel realized that putting up with Jaden was probably only the beginning of his punishment, also realizing how bad things were going to look for him when they brought Syrus back to Zane and Aster. Most likely, the king would probably throw him jail, if not just try to kill him on the spot. But still, it was better than hanging around any longer with even Viper having turned against him, so helping Jaden and the others liberate Syrus was the least he could do. "After all, I was the one who kidnapped him to begin with. I have a pretty good idea where he's being held."

"Yeah, we know." Jesse added, keeping his arm linked with Jaden's, an overly uneasy feeling coming over him in that place. There was a darkness surrounding the entire dimension, a great malice lurked there in the shadows. Everything about the place made him more than a little on edge. "You already apologized for that. But I'm still a little confused about why you and Viper turned on each other. And why are you helping us anyway?"

"Easy." Axel said, keeping his eyes front and on the lookout for guards blocking their path. "Because I disagreed with his methods. The only reason I kidnapped the prince was because I was under orders. I didn't think twice about it at first, but when I saw just how weak and defenseless he was, I knew Viper had gone too far." he explained, lowering his voice for a moment he listened, waiting to see if the coast was clear before moving on. Satisfied with the silence around them he led on, keeping himself on high alert. "I always thought of myself as a loyal soldier, I did anything I was ordered to without question. But it was then I realized just how wrong the things Viper had ordered me to do were. How nonexistent his sense of morality was. So I confronted him about it, and he banished me. Branded me a traitor and an outcast. I decided after that, I'd go with my gut instinct and take the kid back and put a wrench in whatever twisted plan he has. And now, here we are."

"Damn…" Hassleberry muttered under his breath, keeping his exclamation as quiet as he could to avoid bringing any attention their way. He knew a thing or two about people doing bad things to others without questioning it. After all, he was experimented on for nearly two years before Jim came along and set him free, putting himself in danger for the sake of someone he didn't even know beyond his identity as a test subject. Still, he sympathized with Axel's tale.

"Even so, we deeply appreciate your help, Axel." Bastion said, nodding in acknowledgment of Axel's recounting of events, though his own sympathies were a little lost on the others around him. "It is imperative that we return the prince home safely, would that his brother decide not to declare an inter-dimensional war over the boy's abduction. Besides, we all know how terrible that would be. More than his majesty could know."

"He won't if we get Syrus back home before he gets hurt." Alexis informed, having known Zane longer and better than anyone else there she was confident her statement would be accurate. "As long as he's safe, Zane won't make any decisions that could risk changing that. Which means we could put a serious wrench in Yubel's plans."

"Well, let's hope you're right about that Alexis. Because who's to say we're even right about her plans anyway? For all we know, all of this could just be a front for something else." Jim sighed, tipping his brim of his hat for a moment as he thought about just how devastating an inter-dimensional war could be, yet also worried that they had been completely wrong about her intentions to begin with. Feeling Shirley squirm on his back, he reached his hand back, giving the croc a little scratch on the back. He too was worried about Syrus's safety, just as they all were. But at the same time he was worried that no matter what happened, it wasn't going to end very well for any of them.

"So… how much further, Axel?" Jaden dared to question, raising his left arm, he placed his hand over Jesse's which held tightly to his arm. Wanting to give the other celestial boy some comfort in the dark and malevolent fortress, he gave Jesse's hand a small squeeze. Hoping to the gods that everything would turn out okay in the end.

"Not much further." He answered, quickly motioning for the others to stop. Signaling for them to stay quiet, Axel pulled a dagger from his belt, creeping forward slightly as Jaden noticed what it was Axel had seen. At the end of the hallway before the next fork, there was a guard stationed. It seemed he wasn't paying enough attention to overhear the quiet conversation going on a short ways behind him, but that was of course to Axel's favor. Creeping up behind the guard, Axel whipped his free hand up, clamping his hand over the guards mouth he raised his dagger to the guard's throat, hastily slitting it before there was even a chance for the guard to fight back. Dropping the man onto the ground, Axel motioned for the others to follow once again, leading them even further into Viper's dungeon. "Just a few more corridors."

" _Hang in there, Sy."_ Jaden thought, picking up his pace just a little while still being mindful of the fact that Jesse still had a strong hold on his arm and as such, more or less had to keep up with Jaden's pace. Following Axel as closely as he could, Jaden worried deeply for his friend. Hoping to each and every celestial that he was safe. " _Just a little longer, okay? We're almost there."_

Following as Axel led the group ever closer to Syrus's cell, the others kept a sharp vigil about them, Chazz and Alexis taking the initiative to fell any guards that dared approach before they could call for backup. Luckily for them, Axel had a good handle on the layout of the fortress, dungeon included. So he was able to help them avoid the majority of the guards on the way in. Unfortunately, he knew the same couldn't be said for the way out. As soon as the prince was liberated from his prison, the entire fortress would be in an uproar. It would be next to impossible to escape without a fight, even with the prince's portal powers. It was true he could open them even without the dimensional veil being thin enough, but Viper knew about this as well, and implemented an anti-magic field around his fortress to specifically suppress the prince's powers. Meaning so long as Syrus was inside this fortress, even though Bastion's wizardry could remain mostly unaffected, Viper's enhanced anti-magic field could still stop Syrus from using his powers to create an escape portal. Rounding the final corner, Axel stopped them, checking one last time to see if the coast was clear.

"We're clear." He informed quietly, the others finally starting to loosen up a bit despite how tense they still felt. "Looks like the guard for this block hasn't made his rounds yet. We'll have to be quick. Got it?"

"No problem." Jaden nodded, more than determined to free his best friend. Feeling Jesse's hand release from his arm, Jaden turned to him, catching a determined nod from Jesse before he returned it with one of his own, glad they were on the same page. He doubted any of them wouldn't be, after all they had all come with the same goal in mind. But still he felt better with that little bit of reassurance of that anyway. "Let's get him outta here."

"Right." Axel nodded back, rounding the corner with the others in tow.

On the other side of the wall slightly further back in the corridor was a small cell about the size of a ten by twelve foot storage shed, lit only by torchlight despite the surplus of technology the sixth dimension typically used. Heavy iron bars kept the cell closed off from the rest of the corridor like any typical cell would have. The difference was the rest of the cells in the place _didn't_ have kidnapped prince's inside of them. In the back of the cell, Syrus was still sitting on the little stone slab serving as a bench of sorts, his arms situated slightly above his head, shackled to the wall on either side of his tiny body in a further attempt to keep him from trying to use his powers to attempt an escape of his own. Conversely, heavy shackles bound his ankles to make sure he wouldn't be going anywhere no matter what, even with his tiny wrists chained to the wall, and the thick gag still remained tied over his mouth to keep him quiet. Even locked up and imprisoned as he was, the boy still managed to uphold his elegant appearance, the skirt of his ensemble still finding a way to flutter slightly despite the lack of breeze around them, and the white and gold pieces of his clothes as well as his light aqua hair were a lovely contrast to the otherwise dark and dank surroundings. Laying his eyes on his friend it only took Jaden a moment to see that his downcast eyes were sad. The abduction itself had to have been a scary experience for the poor lad, but realizing how much trouble and worry it had to have been causing Aster and his brother had to have made him feel even worse about the whole thing. Only standing still for another half a second, Jaden rushed forwards, clasping his hands tightly around the bars keeping him from reaching his dear friend.

"Sy!" He called, trying to keep his voice down still so any potentially nearby guards wouldn't hear. "Sy, look at me!"

Lifting his head slowly, Syrus laid his eyes on Jaden, a muffled gasp coming through as he realized his entire entourage was there as well, and what that had to mean.

" _Jaden!"_ Syrus thought, a thick wave of relief washing over his small form, the shackles binding him rattling as he leaned forward, pulling against them as best he could for a moment before ultimately giving up. " _W-What are you doing here?"_

"We're here to rescue you, Sy!" Jaden said as if he had read the little one's mind, a soft expression making its way across his face for a moment, just relieved to see that Syrus didn't appear to be injured at all, making him feel more at ease than he had felt since they were told he had been taken originally. "Just sit tight a sec, 'kay? We'll get you outta there!" smiling at his friend for a moment, Syrus nodded, waiting patiently for them to set him free. Turning swiftly on his heels to the rest of the group, Jaden hoped one of them would have an idea of what to do. Because even though he wouldn't admit it, he had none.

"Logically, there should be a key somewhere." Bastion deduced, thinking aloud as he tried to devise a solution to their current princely imprisonment problem. "Though conversely, it's most likely to be held by the chief guard of the cell-block, which means simply unlocking the door is out of the question."

"Well we have to do _something_!" Alexis interjected, her protective mom-friend instincts starting to kick in now that Syrus was actually within their reach and was still technically in danger.

"Move aside, ma'am." Hassleberry almost commanded, politely pushing his way to the front of the group, flexing his extremely impressive muscles for a moment, grabbing section of the bars serving as the door of the cell, beginning to pull with all his might, gritting his teeth as he began to make short work of their little obstacle. "I'll have this open in a jiffy!"

"Uh, are you sure that'll work?" Chazz questioned, raising an eyebrow at the ever strange youth, not entirely convinced this was the best course of action to be taking in terms of effectiveness.

"Don't you worry about that, my friend." Jim reassured, crossing his arms as he watched the younger boy work, more aware of his abilities and impressively inhuman strength than the others were, having been present for more than one show of those skills while the boy was still the subject of their governments experiments. He had always hated them, thinking the experiments were immoral. But as a man of science, he couldn't help but marvel at what an incredible force of pure physical might the boy had become. "Hassleberry's a lot stronger than _you've_ ever witnessed. Trust me, he can do it."

"Well he better hurry. If Axel's right, we don't have much time before the guards make their rounds." Chazz observed, crossing his arms for a moment. Really wanting to get this done with as little trouble as possible.

"Just… one sec…!" Hassleberry grunted through his tightly gritted teeth, pulling against the metal door as hard as he could. Feeling a surge of strength rush through his body, he yanked on the cell door one last time, the sound of bending and creaking metal echoing around the corridor. Crying out as quietly as he could, Hassleberry gave in to the power rising within him, the metal bars clanging and squeaking before the metal door was ripped clean from the rest of the iron barrier keeping them from Syrus. Panting heavily, Hassleberry tossed the metal aside, leaving the way open for their princely rescue.

"My word…!" Bastion gasped, shocked by Hassleberry's overwhelming display of inhuman strength. He was aware that the boy held a great power within him, after all that was the reason they were drawn to him in general, but seeing just how powerful he could be, it was almost mind blowing.

"Syrus!" Rushing into the cell as quickly as he could, Jaden skidded to a stop in front of his tiny friend, his eyes wide with rest of the concern he had been holding in. Ripping the gag from Syrus's mouth, Jaden immediately proceeded checking the little prince over for any possible injuries they couldn't see. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Syrus shook his head, a small reassuring smile on his face while the others filed into the cell, also worried about the well-being of their royal friend.

"No, I'm fine." He said, more than ready to get out of there and go home. But of course, they still had to face a few obstacles first. Pulling against his shackles for a moment, Syrus's face took on a rather embarrassed look, his tone becoming a little more sheepish than before. "But, um… could you maybe get me out of these now…?"

"Oh! Right!" Jaden exclaimed, so worried about making sure Syrus wasn't hurt that he completely forgot he was still chained up. "Sorry, Sy."

"You leave that to me, Jaden." Jim said, pulling what looked like a small lock picking tool from the pocket of his lab coat, something he had prepared for just such an occasion. Giving Shirley another quick pet before approaching the prince, Jim stuck the tool into the lock keeping the shackles on Syrus's wrists secured. "I'll have you outta these in no time, highness."

"Better hurry, Jim." Jesse advised, alerted to the sound of footsteps beginning to converge in the distance. "Looks like they heard the cell door getting ripped off like that."

"Well lucky for us, I thought to bring this along. Though, it's only good for small locks like these, so we might have a problem if there are any more locked doors to break through." Jim responded, the lock on the chains clicking, releasing their hold on Syrus's wrists. Proud of his work, Jim moved on to unlocking the chains holding his ankles, making short work of the remainder of the prince's bonds. "There you are, highness."

"Thank you." Syrus nodded, slowly standing from his seat on the stone slab he had been positioned on. Wobbling for about half a second, Jaden quickly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to steady him, only getting more worried by the second. "I'm okay, I promise." the little one reassured, not wanting Jaden and the others to worry anymore. "Don't worry."

"C'mon let's get moving. We don't have time to stand around like this."

Shifting his gaze to the familiar voice, Syrus's body tensed. Quickly grabbing onto Jaden, he hid himself behind his friend, frightened by the presence of the man who had carried out the deed and abducted him from his home dimension. Surprised by Syrus's reaction, Jaden turned his head for a second, catching a glimpse of Sy's frightened expression looking up at him for reassurance. Smiling down at the bluenette, Jaden patted him on the head for a moment, gesturing back to Axel.

"Don't worry Sy, he's on our side now." He explained, hoping to help him be less frightened. "Viper turned on him, so he decided to help us rescue you. So you're totally safe. Okay?"

"O-Okay…" Syrus nodded warily, still not entirely comfortable with the idea of traveling with his abductor, but so long as Jaden and the others were there to protect him, he figured it would be okay.

"Come, Axel is correct." Bastion asserted, gesturing for the others to follow as Axel turned to lead them out of the dungeon before too many guards appeared to bar their path. "We've little time before the guards arrive. Let us take our leave!"

"Syrus, you stay with Jaden and Jesse, okay?" Alexis instructed, more serious than she had been since she was trying to save her brother's life. "They'll look after you."

"Yes, ma'am." Syrus nodded, showing his fellow royal her due respect. The two love birds nodding to each other as well, they kept to either side of the young prince, swiftly ushering him out of the dark cell. Following Axel and Bastion back into the maze of cell blocks and corridors with the others in tow, the group was determined to get Syrus back home safely and as soon as possible, and finally put a stop to Yubel's twisted schemes.


	21. In The Hands of Darkness

_**-Chapter 21-** _

The group hurried through the empty cell blocks as fast as they could, even faster than before now that a group of guards was now in hot pursuit. Bastion, dropping back to the rear of the group alongside Chazz, pulled out his wizard's staff, thrusting it forward and swiping it across his body in the direction of the approaching soldiers.

"Blizzara!" He shouted, the thick particles of ice forming in the air where the staff had made it's path, shooting from their place towards the soldiers, covering the floor beneath them in a heavy layer of twinkling ice that formed around their feet, freezing their metal armor and causing their feet to stick to the ground beneath them.

"Great work, Bastion!" Jesse praised, holding Syrus's hand as they ran, making sure the tiny prince would be able to keep up with their swift pace.

"Yes, but that won't hold them for long!" Bastion informed, cursing the fact that he hadn't yet mastered the highest forms of elemental spells just yet, but still he hoped it would be enough to give them an advantage in their escape efforts.

"Well whatever!" Chazz dismissed, shaking his head for a moment, not much caring about the minutiae of the situation so long as they made it out okay. "Just keep running!"

"Sorry to bring it up," Syrus began, glancing back at Chazz for a second with a worried yet inquisitive look in his eyes "but that doesn't sound like much of a plan at this point?"

"Well excuse me, princess!" Chazz spat back, frustrated with the situation enough as it was, and Syrus's input was neither helping nor appreciated for the time being. "Sorry we spent all our time breaking you out of jail and not standing around talking about plans!"

"Alright first," Syrus argued, offended by Chazz's annoyed outburst "I'm _not_ a princess! Second-"

"-Hush up, both of you!" Hassleberry scolded as they ran, keeping an eye out for any other soldiers that could be looking for them now that they had freed Syrus from his prison. "This really isn't a good time to argue!"

"Quiet!" Axel commanded, annoyed with all the unnecessary chatter going on behind him. Felling any foe who dared cross his path, nearly sprinting with the others through the dark corridors as the others made their best effort to keep up with his exponential pace. Doing his best to keep up, Syrus was relieved Jesse had been holding his hand as they ran, making it much more difficult for him to fall behind despite his vastly shorter legs not offering him any extra help in that regard. "The dungeon entrance is just up ahead, and once we get out there, there'll be even more of those guys, so keep your guards up!"

"No way they're gonna stop us now!" Alexis declared, her rather large blade already in hand, she poured all of her focus into making sure the way would be clear and safe for the defenseless little prince, knowing full well that since Viper's magic suppressing field was calibrated specifically to prevent Syrus from being able to use his portal powers, he was even more helpless than usual. Especially since if he _could_ use it, they would have already been gone by now, and they could have already taken him back home to safety. But the situation being what it was, all they could do now was protect him until they had cleared the field and he could use his powers again to get them out of the godforsaken sixth dimension. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Well either way, we've gotta keep moving." Jim interjected, honestly just hoping they could make it through the remainder of the whole ordeal without someone getting hurt. They had gotten lucky when Yubel attacked them before. No one had taken any serious injuries, and even though Jesse had taken a blow to protect Jaden, his slightly more fragile body had only sustained a few scrapes and bruises from the aftermath of the magical burst. But they couldn't be lucky forever, that much was clear to just about everyone, and especially with Syrus around in dire need of their protection, it made Jim worry even more about whether or not they could pull this rescue off successfully or not. "If they catch us, we're all gonna be locked up like that. Or worse."

"Then stop talking, and run!" Axel commanded, gesturing to the fast approaching dungeon entrance, which led to the main hall of the guard's quarters within the fortress. Would that they could have taken the secret entrance to escape, they could have avoided such a dangerous route, but the tunnel having partly collapsed on their way in, it would be next to impossible to use and far too dangerous at that. Meaning unfortunately, the main entrance was their only option. Drawing their weapons, the party prepared to storm their way through the guard's citadel, knowing that if they could make it out of there they would be just about home free as long as they could just get out of the anti-magic field's range. Holding Syrus's hand tightly, Jesse worried about the young bluenette. Of course he was aware just as the others were that he wasn't _completely_ helpless. After all, he did have a deck of his own as just about all of them did along with some very basic magical abilities, but the boy had never been in a battle before, much less one where all of their foes would be trying specifically to capture him. Honestly, Jesse worried Syrus wouldn't be able to handle it and would almost require someone to handhold him through it. But Syrus was tougher than the others gave him credit for. Weapons at the ready, they charged the large double doors. Cutting down each and every foe in their path, Alexis lead the charge, her sword finding its way into the guts of more than a few soldiers blocking the way forward, blood positively coating the otherwise sparkling blade as she ran it through the final soldier barring their pathway forward.

"C'mon, let's get this door open!" Hassleberry shouted, joined by Axel and Jim the pushed with all their might, slowly forcing the heavy iron door to part for them. Gathering together in a barrier around little Syrus, Jaden kept his small blade at the ready, ushering Syrus behind him as he heard more guards approaching from the depths. Chazz stood at the front of the group having taken the responsibility of guarding their flank on the trip out, he growled while his narrowed eyes caught a glimpse of shining armor approaching them. Glancing back for a moment, he could see the others still struggling to force the door open without the means to unlock it themselves, but with soldiers starting to close in on them, they were already running out of time.

"Dammit." Chazz muttered under his breath. Shaking his head for a moment in frustration, he realized what he had to do. Tightening his grip on his sword, Chazz took a deep breath before sprinting back down the corridor, intent on dispatching the swiftly approaching foes.

"Chazz, come back!" Bastion demanded, his eyes widening when he saw what the raven haired warrior was going to do. Taking a step forward, he reached out for the foolish warrior, a look of worry present on his typically calm face. "It's far too dangerous!"

"Well _someone's_ gotta buy those guys some more time!" Chazz called back, glancing back to the others for only a second before his blade made contact with the first soldier's chest, cutting through the thin armor like it was nothing at all. Pulling the blade back, Chazz effortlessly twirled his sword around in his hand for a moment, showing them just what kind of warrior they were dealing with before assuming his battle stance, eyes narrowed as he prepared himself to fight. "Next?"

"Idiot!" Alexis scoffed, not thrilled by his momentary hero complex, though she did commend him for his efforts. Besides, if any of them could handle a group of soldiers single handedly other than her at the moment, it was Chazz. Being the greatest warrior in his own dimension, he was both highly skilled and highly experienced. He was going to be just fine.

"How you holding up, Sy?" Jaden asked, turning his head back to his tiny friend, realizing this was all certainly quite the ordeal for the little prince. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Jaden." Syrus reassured, nodding back up at the brunette. Of course he was a little frightened, he figured just about anyone in his situation would be, but physically he was perfectly fine. A few slowly healing scrapes from the fall he had been a part of during the actual kidnapping itself, but otherwise Viper and his goons hadn't harmed him at all, which honestly surprised him a little, though he certainly wasn't complaining. "Don't worry."

"Good." Jaden nodded, a relieved smile sneaking across his face, holding his free arm out in front of the bluenette as a show of protection, Jesse joining in as well. "Well, we're gonna make sure you stay that way. So stay behind me, okay?"

"Okay." Syrus agreed, honestly not one for not doing what he was told despite what his previous and deliberate breach of security and rule breaking would have otherwise suggested. Still, he kept close to the brunette, following Alexis's previous instructions to stay with him and Jesse as they made their escape. Behind them the others kept pushing away, the heavy double doors starting to succumb to Hassleberry's inhuman strength as well as Jim and Axel's own strength. Cracking just enough, Hassleberry mustered all the strength he could, digging his heels into the floor he roared, forcing the metal doors apart in a violent display as the doors shot out, opening the way to the citadel ahead of them they knocked back every converging guard in their path.

"Nice work, Hassleberry!" Jim praised, patting the tired child on the back, giving him a second to recover from using up such an immense portion of his strength all at once like that, but there really hadn't been any other choice considering they were on a serious time constraint since the longer they took, inevitably the more problems they would have.

"No problem..." Hassleberry panted, only allowing him a second to catch his breath before returning to his battle stance, the danger nowhere near behind them yet. Gesturing for the others to follow, he headed into the citadel proper, following closely behind Axel who had already taken it upon himself to begin clearing the way for the others. "C'mon, let's get a move on!"

"A novel idea!' Bastion nodded, ushering Jaden and the others finally out of the dungeon, taking a few swift strides in pursuit before remembering that Chazz had still been fighting behind them. Stopping dead in his tracks, Bastion turned hastily yet still somehow elegantly on his heels, not about to leave the snow white warrior in the lurch. "Chazz! We're pushing forward!" he called, beckoning him to rejoin the rest of the party. "It's time to go!"

"Dammit.." Chazz panted, his stance faltering for a moment as he felled one more foe, surrounded by blood and death he wiped a drop of blood from a small cut on his cheek, staining the silver of his gauntlets he took a moment to catch his breath before lowering his blooded blade and returning to his full posture, nodding silently as he turned back to Bastion. "Remind me to kill you if you cross us again." hurrying back to rejoin the group, Chazz met Bastion back at the entrance, not bothering to stop he grabbed Bastion's arm as he passed him, whirling the posh wizard around immediately before letting go.

"Jesse, look after him for a sec!" Jaden shouted over the noise of the ensuing battle, handing Syrus off to his absolute dearest companion as he grabbed an incoming soldier's arm. Pulling him forward, Jaden jammed his short blade into the soldier's neck, quickly withdrawing it he dropped the soldier to the ground. Honestly Jaden still felt terrible about the idea of killing another person, but right now he recognized that if they were going to get out of the sixth dimension at all he really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Glancing back to make sure the two bluenettes weren't in any immediate danger, Jaden nodded, contently joining Alexis and the others in the heat of the battle.

" _He's becoming more like a warrior."_ Jesse thought to himself. Smiling softly at the goofy brunette, proudly watching him join the battle, assisting in any way he could though Jesse's focus never wavered from his task. Keeping his arm extended to block Syrus from their enemies, Jesse thought hard on what he could do to assist as well. He contained a small amount of magical powers for self defense purposes, but that wouldn't be powerful enough in such an environment and with Viper's field weakening magic it wouldn't be anywhere near as effective anyway. Quickly catching a small group of soldiers daring to approach from their left, he made a split second choice. Ripping his own deck from the small box hidden under the cascade of long white ruffles flowing down from his vest. Only giving himself time for one draw, he swiftly pulled a card from the deck, shoving the cards back into the box before throwing the card onto the field.

"Sapphire Pegasus!" Jesse shouted, swinging his arm out as the card released from his elegant fingers, a soft iridescent shine enveloping his body as the form of the celestial beast appeared on the field, hurrying to his master. "We need your help, pal!"

 _"Of course, Jesse."_ The majestic beast answered for only Jesse to hear, eyeing the little prince behind the celestial child. _"Come, on my back!"_

"C'mon, your highness." Jesse urged, grabbing Syrus's arm he gently pulled the little boy closer to the Pegasus. Wasting no time, he hoisted the prince up onto the beast's back, hastily hopping aboard himself. Situating himself behind Syrus, Jesse took only a second to make sure the bluenette was secure. "Go!"

Sapphire Pegasus let out a mighty neigh, his voice tearing through the sounds of the battle around them, the dying screams of defeated soldiers and the clanging of metal against metal, swords and lances clashing together. Holding tight to the divine beast, Jesse kept his eyes on the battle around them, doing his best to protect the prince as Jaden instructed, as well as honoring Alexis's own words. She had told Syrus that he and Jaden would look after him, and he wasn't about to let that be a lie. Sapphire tore through the slowly growing hoard of soldiers, determined as well to keep both his master and the little prince safe from harm. Hastily ripping through the enemy soldiers, they found themselves passing Jaden as he fought side by side with Hassleberry, giving his aid to the largely unarmed tank of a child. Passing the brunette by, Jesse turned his head to him, Jaden's eyes turning to meet his, the world seemed to move slower as the brown and emerald orbs stared into each other, a proud and loving smile on Jesse's face as he saw the warrior Jaden was becoming. Turning his gaze back forward the world resumed its speed around Jaden, Jesse's flawless eyes narrowing while his determination swelled within him, vowing not to fail his dear one.

"Way to go, Jess." Jaden praised under his breath, giving himself a moment to rest, he drove his blade through another unsuspecting soldier having been preoccupied trying to take down Hassleberry, who himself was tearing through incoming enemies despite his fists being the only weapon he had. The child was simply inhuman, that's the only explanation Jaden could come up with though he knew even that wasn't entirely true. Panting heavily from the fatigue of battle, Jaden looked around, hoping the others were faring better than they were, yet to be fair, the others were far more experienced and highly trained than he was. "You hangin' in there, Hassleberry?" He asked, glancing quickly to his battle companion.

"Just fine, Jaden." He answered, a cheeky grin coming over his handsome face, landing a particularly forceful blow onto another soldier before turning back to him. "I could do this all day."

"Well lucky for you, we don't plan on having to." Jaden assured, pulling his deck out he drew a card from the top. Looking at the slowly waning battle around them, he glanced at the majestic beast moving about the large open hall, carrying Jesse and Syrus along in an attempt to keep them safe from the battle at hand. Looking back to the card in his hand, he raised an eyebrow in thought.

" _Polymerization?"_ He thought, starting to recall hearing that name somewhere before. " _Oh! I think Alexis used this before, when we rescued Chazz. It fuses monsters together."_ quickly coming up with an idea he searched through his deck, quickly locating the two creatures he had in mind.

"I'll use Polymerization to fuse together Elemental Hero Avian, and Elemental Hero Burstinatrix to form Elemental Hero Flame Wing-man!" a deep red glow overtaking his body as he threw the cards out onto the field, the two creatures appeared, quickly fusing themselves together a mighty beast took their place, more than ready to assist in the battle. "Help us end this, Flame Wing-man!" bathed in a fiery flash the great beast appeared on the battlefield, letting out a mighty battle cry, the beast fired his flames towards a group of soldiers cowering in fear of the beast, the flames consuming them until there was naught left of them.

 _"Jesse! On your left!"_ Sapphire called to his master, directing both bluenette's attention to another group of soldiers chasing them down. Gritting his teeth for a second, Jesse wrapped his arm tightly around Syrus, preparing to make a rather swift maneuver.

"Dammit!" Jesse muttered, securing the prince in his grasp. "Will they ever stop coming!?"

"Let me!" Syrus called back to Jesse over the sounds of the waning battle around them. A blue sparkle emanating from his hands, Syrus's deck appeared to him, drawing a card from the top he threw it onto the field with urgency, wanting to do his part to help. "Go, Steamroid!" Upon the little one's command, a rather large train-like creature appeared on the field. With the boost in power from the prince's life force enhanced deck the creature made short work of the soldiers, dispatching them swiftly before returning to Syrus's deck, the blue glow surrounding his tiny body fading away in turn.

"Nice work, your highness!" Jesse praised, honestly surprised by the power in the boy's cards, although he figured he really shouldn't be. Syrus was royalty after all, and their decks typically were just more effective by default it seemed. Smiling at the little prince, Syrus flashed an adorable smile of his own at the celestial bluenette, happy to have been of even just a little help.

"Thank you!" He replied, his cuteness truly knowing no bounds it seemed. Holding on tightly to the divine Pegasus, the beast took them as far from the immediate fighting as he could, thankful that the number of soldiers there had decreased significantly by then, making it far easier to protect the two fragile bluenette's from any potential harm.

_"It's time, Jaden!"_

"Wha-" Jaden began, whirling around as the sound of Neos' strong baritone sounded in his head once more. Turning his eyes to the large double doors at the far end of the extremely large chamber, he could see the doors begin to crack open, the sound of the heavy wood scraping across the floor encompassing the entire room as well as the creaking of the old metal hinges. Watching as the doors opened, he could see what looked like a massacre in the hallway beyond, blood and death all around just as was in the chamber now. But before that death, there was a man. A rather large, almost pure evil looking man. Seeing him for himself, Axel narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on his blades as an anger rose within his body.

"Viper!" He shouted, growling deeply at the sight of the tyrant if he'd had the guts to try he'd have tried to kill the man right then and there for banishing him, and branding him a traitor simply for disagreeing with his lack of morals. But he couldn't. Axel was many things, but what he wasn't, was a cold blooded killer.

"Well now, if it isn't Axel Brodie." Viper chuckled darkly, not at all phased by the fighting still going on around them as his voice boomed about the room. "Come to take revenge, I assume?"

"More like justice." Axel answered, glancing over to Syrus and Jesse, who had by then found themselves parked with Sapphire Pegasus on the far western side of the chamber, fear in the little prince's eyes at the sight of Viper. "I'm taking Prince Syrus back! And you'll answer to the council for what you've done!"

"What _I've_ done?" Viper questioned. Glancing over as well to the frightened child, he laughed at Axel's claim, horribly amused by the thought. "As I recall, it was _you_ , who broke into the palace and heartlessly abducted his highness in the night. _I_ haven't laid even a finger on the little one."

"I only did it because I was under _your_ orders, Viper!" Axel shouted back, raising his blade towards the cruel hearted man, his own eyes narrowing more as his anger began to take hold. " _You're_ as much to blame as I am!"

"Perhaps." Viper chuckled for a moment before regaining his typical calm and commanding aura, as well as gaining a darkness about his composer as well. "But no matter. Now that all the pieces have gathered, it is time for the young prince to finally be made use of!"

"What the hell do you mean by that!?" Jaden demanded, brandishing his own blood soaked blade at Viper, his brown eyes narrowing at the thought of what danger and harm he had planned to force upon his dear friend. An anger growing within his own body as well, Jaden couldn't bear the thought of seeing the little prince hurt. After all the boy had done for him, Jaden was determined to protect him at all costs. It was the least he could do for him now.

"Come now, young Jaden." Viper said, fully aware of who the young brunette was, though that was certainly news to the rest of them. Continuing his seemingly perpetual dark chuckle, Viper extended his hand to the little prince, Jesse in turn wrapped his arm around the bluenette, determined to keep him safe from harm like Jaden asked of him. "As it would turn out, the child is extremely valuable not only to myself, but also to a mutual acquaintance of ours."

"What does she want with my friend?" Jaden interrogated cautiously, narrowing his eyes at the tyrant he knew how Viper would answer. It was clear Yubel was that certain acquaintance, the dulled stinging in his chest was proof enough of that. But he couldn't help but worry about how exactly Syrus could be of use to her, although unfortunately, he had a fairly decent guess in mind.

"Wouldn't you like to know, boy."

Standing there in the large chamber the fighting had all but ceased, Chazz pulling his sword from the chest of the final soldier as the others turned their eyes to the bloodthirsty tyrant, more than prepared to turn their weapons on him too should the need arise. If it meant protecting the little prince from harm, the consequences of attacking or even killing a dimensional leader could be damned. Clutching his blade tightly, more than ready to attack as well should the need arise, Jaden could feel the sting in his chest begin to pulsate, its former dullness sharpening just barely with Winged Kuriboh's light within his soul keeping Yubel's curse suppressed as best he could. From behind Viper, a dark light shined, gasping at the sight, Jaden shot a glance at Jesse, warning him to make certain he and Syrus were as far out of harm's way as was possible.

"Well now, my dear." Viper smiled menacingly, filled with pride as beside him in a thick veil of darkness, Yubel manifested her physical being. Unamused or unphased in the slightest it seemed by the appearance of the children, she kept her eyes locked on Jaden, a deep maniacal smile plastered to her face. "I've brought you the child. Now, I think it's time I received my reward."

"Oh yes." Yubel nodded in response to the dictator, raising her hand slowly she drifted back just enough to reach behind him, chuckling quietly to herself a smirk found itself a place on her lovely, demonic face. "Your reward." A black glow overcoming her body, she pressed her hand against Viper's back, as swift as lightning from her palm a thick blade shot out, piercing straight through Viper's flesh, knocking the air completely from his mortal body as his eyes widened as far as they could possibly go, as well realizing just how little time he had remaining.

"You truly are a fool, Viper." She chuckled, extracting the spiritual blade from Viper's body, but with one nudge he fell to the ground, a river of blood pouring from the newly formed hole in his chest. Laughing maniacally to herself she turned her attention to the children, truly loving the shock and terror on each of their faces. Jaden's most of all. "But still. I must thank him for bringing the little one to me. As well as the rest of you fools."

"What the hell do you want Syrus for!?" Alexis shouted, her sword in her hands, she was more than prepared to strike at a moment's notice, if only her sword hadn't proved practically useless against her the last time. Still, she wasn't about to just let her use their friend for a nefarious purpose. "To start a war!?"

"Perhaps." Yubel answered, raising her other arm in the direction of the two bluenettes, Sapphire Pegasus neighing loudly in warning, not wanting to see the two in his care brought to harm if he could help it. Clutching Syrus tightly in protection, Jesse reached for his cards, ready to defend the little one at all costs as Jaden instructed him to do. "At least, that was the _original_ plan." Cackling to herself she shined black once more, a powerful shock wave of dark energy shooting from her open palm towards the two boys.

"No!" Bastion cried out, raising his staff to cast any spell he could think of to help, but even his great haste was too slow. Before he or anyone could do anything at all, the shock wave hit Sapphire Pegasus. The sheer force of the dark energy sending the divine beast back a good ways from where he had been stood, a mighty cry from the beast ringing out as he was knocked back by the blast, sending Jesse and Syrus flying off of his back unable to keep them on any longer. Disappearing back into Jesse's deck the others watched in horror as the two fragile boys were thrown from the beast, their bodies crashing into the stone wall behind them. Crying out in pain they fell to the floor in a heap, Syrus's head having slammed against the stone, his large, gray eyes drooped closed as consciousness left him to fade into darkness. Jesse on the other hand, trembled as he tried to pick himself up off of the ground, a fire burning in his eyes from the ever growing desire to send the demoness back to the depths from whence she had come.

"Sy! Jesse!" Jaden cried out, his heart crying out with him in pure worry. Making a run for his dear unconscious friend and his weakened love, Yubel chuckled to herself. Sending another shock wave at the brunette, she stopped him in his tracks, knocking him from his feet she sent the brunette to the ground too, not about to let him stop her this time.

"I don't think so." She said. Flicking her wrist ever so delicately an orb of an almost dazzling dark purple light formed around Syrus, enveloping him in Yubel's power. "Come to me, child born with the ancient powers." Beckoning the boy come closer, the orb floated up from the stone ground, carrying the unconscious prince to her side, cackling in twisted joy. "As I have discovered, with this child's powers I shall bring the twelve dimensions to their knees! As the dimensions collapse in on one another, none shall survive my vengeance!"

"That's not gonna happen!" Jim shouted, Shirley gnashing her teeth at the demoness in turn, sharing in her dear Jim's sentiment. There was little he could do by way of battle, he knew that all too well. After all, Jim was no warrior, he was a man of science. It had taken all he had to aid the others in this fight, but he could tell they all shared the same sentiment. Should they be able, Yubel would never fulfill her dark schemes.

"Ah, pitiful mortals. Ever naive fools." Yubel shook her head at the senseless claim, unimpressed even by the group's resilience. Looking out upon the group she chuckled at the pitiful display before her, only two true warriors among their ranks and one, the greatest of his homeland, was weary and battle worn. Weakened by her previous attack, the fair sword master's wounds more or less began to reopen, a small amount of blood seeping through the bandages about his body, staining the lavender silk of his shirt. A thin trail of blood ran down Chazz's pale face, a small wound from an enemy sword having taken residence on his forehead, staining his white skin red. The girl on the other hand, had few wounds but was fatigued that much was clear. She took quick and shallow breaths as she held her blade firmly, doing her best to stand her ground. The others too were weary, their bodies not too acquainted with battle on such a large scale, even the child engineered to fight, however unwillingly. The piece of strength she had managed to steal from him had taken a toll on the child, rendering him weaker in stamina than he was meant to be. From the corner of her eye Yubel caught a glimpse of vibrant red. Turning her eyes she watched Jaden rise to his feet, reaching out for his dear Jesse, a deep concern in his eyes, and fear for what was to come.

"Jesse…!" Jaden called, stumbling back to his feet, his heart pounding at the thought that Jesse could have been hurt, and a deep desire to see Syrus freed from Yubel's grasp. "Jesse, please! Get up!"

"So, it's as I suspected." Yubel chuckled to herself, amused by such a pitiful human feeling. "I can sense the weight in your heart. Love." A deep sigh escaping her lips she shook her head at the celestial children, a look of an almost complacent nature appearing on her face. "I was given love once. By all the peoples of so many different dimensions. But they forgot all about me. Bereft of their love I became the demon you see here today."

"J-Jaden.." Jesse choked out, trembling as he once again tried to pick himself off of the ground but to little avail, the world spinning around him, disoriented from the powerful blow being flung into the stone wall had dealt him.

"Why don't I share with you the pain I felt all those many centuries ago?" Yubel cackled, flicking her wrist again another dark purple orb ensnared Jesse, tearing him from his spot on the ground before any of the others could even attempt to reach him, a small cry exiting from Jaden's lips as his dear Jesse was torn away from him too. "Actually, it's just as well." She continued, reaching her hand through the orb she caressed Jesse's fair face, scathed by not but a few scratches after such a battle. "Perhaps I could devise a use for your power too, in the collapse of all dimensions."

"No!" Jaden shouted, anger brimming in his soul as he gripped his blade, hurling his thin form at the demoness, he couldn't help but allow his emotions to take control. "Let them go, you monster!"

"Jaden, don't!" Bastion called, reaching his hand out to the brunette he could see where this was going. No good was to come of this encounter. Not with both Syrus _and_ Jesse within her unholy clutches. Ignoring Bastion's warning, Jaden continued his assault, raising his blade as he jumped at the demoness the brunette cried out in anger, taking great pleasure in the thought of driving his short blade through her skull to save his companions, though unwary of her ability to react. Frowning at the boy's attack, Yubel threw up her hand, clasping it tightly around the brunette's throat as he gripped his left hand around her own, his feet kicking against the open air as she squeezed tighter until the blade fell from his right hand. Pulling him in closer, Yubel narrowed her eyes at the pitiful child, though reveling in the sight of seeing him gasping for air like a fish fresh from the ocean's waves on the hot sand as he wriggled in her grasp.

"At the center of all things the child shall be my blade, to cut the ties of all creation." Yubel hissed venomously into Jaden's ear, keeping her grip firm around his throat, strong enough to keep him struggling but not to kill. "And you, _dear_ Jaden. Will perish once again. As will all your little friends."

"N-No…!" Jaden choked out, trying frantically to pry himself free of the monster's grasp, though fruitful his attempts were not.

"And in the ashes of this doomed universe I shall remain, and on the ashes of the old world I shall build my throne." She warned, curling her fingers in, the orbs holding Syrus and Jesse moved closer to her, the dark purple shine glowing brighter as they moved. "Alongside humanities wretches you and the rest of the children you call companions will die. But since you seem so eager to keep him alive, your dear, _precious_ Jesse will remain by my side. As my prisoner for all eternity." cackling as wickedly as she could muster Yubel threw Jaden to the ground, a pained cry forced from his lips as he slammed into the ground. Hurrying to his side, Hassleberry and Alexis helped him to his feet, a knowing lament on their faces that there was nothing they could do in their current, weary condition. "I've been alone for so long! Well, now it's your turn!"

"No!" Jaden cried, frantically struggling in Alexis and Hassleberry's grasp as they held him back, unable to let him risk getting himself injured, sensing the battle yet to come. "Let me go!" He demanded, tearing his right arm free of Alexis's hold he reached out as far as he could, his eyes fixed on his dear friend and love. "Syrus! Jesse!"

"Come, Jaden! On the field of battle will your fate be sealed! And I left to revel in your honorless death once more! And I'll be saving special pockets of the void _just_ for you, and _holy_ Neos! And your spirits will be trapped in darkness _just_ like _I_ was!" Losing herself in her wicked cackles once more Yubel seized the orbs imprisoning Jesse and Syrus, forcing them to either side of her while a great black portal materialized behind her, her dark laughter echoing through the empty halls of death, overpowering even Jaden's cries for his companions. Feeling the brunette's pure despair, she extended her hands, caressing the fair faces of the celestial son and unconscious prince, taking great pleasure in making Jaden's treasures her own as they sank into the dark portal. The darkness taking them to the center of all creation, where the final battle would be waged.


	22. The Center of Creation

_**-Chapter 22-** _

"Dammit!" Jaden cried, dropping to his knees, he slammed his fists onto the bloodstained stone beneath him, his heart in shambles having failed to protect his dear friend like he had promised, and for losing probably the love of his life all at once to the most evil being in the universe. Turning to Alexis, he shouted, angry with her and Hassleberry for holding him back. "Why, Alexis!? Why would you do that!?"

"Because you can't take her on alone!" She shouted back, her own heart faltering at the loss of the little prince. She had known the boy for many many years, and he was a dear friend. Seeing such an innocent soul in the hands of such an evil force with no intention of keeping him alive once his usefulness was no more, it tore her heart in two, much like the pain she felt when her own brother had been taken captive, and very nearly slaughtered before her eyes. "You know this, Jaden. And look at us!" Gesturing to the rest of the party, Jaden saw how tired they looked, and the blood splashed upon them, be it their own or of a soldier whom they had felled. "We can't just rush into a battle with that witch! If we do, we won't win!"

"She's right, Jaden!" Hassleberry interjected, wiping what foreign blood he could from his tanned flesh, grateful for even a moment to catch his breath from the battle. "It's true, I don't know much about what's really goin' on, or what that demon's beef is with you. But I was engineered for battle. You can't win with weary troops. And definitely not alone."

"But Sy! A-And Jesse…!" Jaden argued, his widened eyes frantically searching for an answer. For what to do. He was created to be used as a tool for Yubel's destruction, but he was no tactician. He had no idea what to do now.

"We will not abandon them." Bastion spoke, tending to Chazz's wounds, reopened and new, as best he could. Though with little knowledge of medicinal magicks, he lamented to himself, able to offer the weary and wounded warrior little true help. "We cannot. I was charged with looking after Jesse by the divine Rainbow Dragon. On many accounts I'm afraid I have failed in this task. But I will not allow myself, nor any of us to fail in such a task now."

"But what can we do?" Axel asked from the sidelines, inspecting Viper's now lifeless body, lying in a pool of his own blood where Yubel had dropped him. Looking out upon the scene, the halls of the fortress were silent with death. Yubel had come and gone, slaughtering all in her path. He suspected in the entire fortress, only they had been left alive. "In all my years, I've never seen a being like that."

"Because there _is_ no other being like that." Jim added, joining the side of the mercenary, looking out as well over the death surrounding them. "Not from what I understand."

"She said… she's taking them to the center of all creation…" Chazz recounted, not quite as actually hurt as he was drained of energy from his previous wounds and the fatigue of battle. Yet still he cringed as Bastion did his best to clean the gash on his forehead, using what little healing magic he knew to help. "H-How the hell are we even supposed to get there…?"

"I-I don't know…" Jaden admitted, a deep and heavy sigh escaping his lips as he sunk back into a slumped position, completely emotionally defeated by what had just occurred. He just didn't understand it. He had summoned Neos once before when he was emotionally charged, why hadn't it happened again this time? Why couldn't he stop her right then and there? Why couldn't he complete their mission and save his first real friend? Why…

_"Why couldn't I save you either, Jesse…?"_

"Well there has to be _some_ way!" Alexis supposed, more than likely correct. After all, if she wasn't then Yubel wouldn't have been able to go there in the first place probably. Though with a former celestial turned demon, who could say, really? But the question lingered in the air, driving them all up the walls not knowing what to do. Not just any portal would be able to take them to a place like that, and even if it could not just any _one_ could open one like that. No, they'd have to find another way. But to travel to a place such as that…? There would be no other way.

"I fear the way could be shut to us." Bastion sighed, shaking his head at the thought of coming so far only to be shut out at the final gate. Finished with what he could do for Chazz he moved the warrior over to the nearest wall, resting him up against it so he could properly rest until they figured out even a semblance of what to do next. "We cannot reach the center of creation. Not without help."

"Yeah, well I don't see that happening." Axel scoffed. He knew what kind of 'help' Bastion was referring to. He had never put much stock in the idea of celestials and he could tell he probably wasn't the only one there who felt that way, at least in part. No celestial had ever been revered in the sixth dimension from what he knew, and even if there had, none had ever shown them their power or given their aid. His was a forsaken place, and celestials meant nothing to him. "In my experience, celestials don't just help people. If they did, they'd have gotten rid of Viper a long time ago."

"It doesn't work that way." Jim said, somewhat familiar with the celestials despite being the man of science he was. But in his studies he had come across a small fount of celestial knowledge. Enough to educate himself on the basics at least. "They don't just make decisions like that. They may be gods in their own right, but they don't _play_ god. Not to the tune of killing, at any rate."

"Whatever." Axel scoffed again, crossing his arms as his gaze turned once more to Viper's cold corpse, starting to fear the fallout his homeland would suffer once news of their tyrant's death swept the land. The power vacuum that would ravage them all…

"But what if they could help us…?" Alexis posed, her light hazel eyes landing on Jaden, the idea fully formed in her mind. There wasn't that much to it really, only one thing could be done. And with Jesse taken prisoner, Jaden was the only one who could see it done. "Jaden, you have to talk to them. To the spirits and the celestials. You can do that too, can't you? Like Jesse could?"

"In theory, he should." Bastion nodded, making sure Chazz was alright for now before moving to Jaden's side, placing a comforting hand on the distressed brunette's shoulder. "Before, until his memories were restored and his spiritual power unsealed they couldn't speak to him if not only in dreams. But now, after such a strong awakening of power in him, he should need only try."

"But I… I don't…" Jaden sighed, shaking his head at the Brit's observation. Of all the things Jesse had been able to teach him about the strange powers they shared, communion with the spirits was one he had not been able. "I don't know how..."

"I'm aware." Bastion answered, kneeling down beside him so the two were at eye level, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, truly wanting nothing more than to help all he could. "But there's no time to worry about it now. You do want to rescue Jesse and his highness, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Jaden insisted, feeling his chest tighten with emotion at the thought of the precious ones he had only just lost. They both meant so much to him, if only just in different ways. Syrus was the first person who had truly cared for him or even genuinely gave him the time of day. They had become so close so quickly, as if in some other life they had been as close as brothers, and that flame had been rekindled. But Jesse... those were feelings of a much different nature. From the moment he had laid eyes on him, Jaden could feel it in his heart, though he didn't understand why at the time. Not another person could even begin to catch his eye, and he was always drawn back to Jesse. It felt like their spirits were drawn together, like he could no longer live without the fair beauty by his side, to hold and touch. And as it had turned out, Jesse felt the same. It truly seemed to be love on both sides. "I'd do anything to get them back…"

"Then you must _try._ " Bastion persuaded gently, beckoning the brunette focus on the task at hand. "They _want_ to speak to you, Jaden. You can feel that, can't you? All you need do is focus. Concentrate, and their voices will come to you."

"O-Okay." Jaden nodded, taking Bastion's advice to heart all he could. The desire to see his friends safe, to have Jesse stand beside him once more. He could feel it all swirling around inside of him. Letting out a heavy sigh, Jaden closed his eyes, shutting out his surroundings he listened for the celestial voices calling out to him from the astral plane. For a moment, all was still and silent. Not a sound could he hear within his mind. But as the seconds turned to minutes, Jaden could feel a presence there, and a pull on his thoughts as if he was being beckoned to follow the voices which sounded on the edge of a thought. Far away and whispery, Jaden reached out with his spirit, surprised that he could see his own arm reach out, yet he could feel that his physical body had not moved an inch from where he was knelt. And yet strangely enough, he could hardly feel his own body at all. Looking around in the darkness he could see through himself, like he had been reduced to a mere spirit on the edge of darkness. Another moment passed, and he felt the pull return, much stronger than before. All around him the darkness faded into a bright light as around him Jaden could begin to see faces, so many faces. Not unkind or unknown, but the faces of those he had seen within his cards. His spirit had been brought to the astral plane.

 _"Jaden."_ Neos greeted, offering an acknowledging nod to his prized creation. And yet within his powerful and booming voice, there was a melancholy. As if he knew, and had seen what had transpired. _"It has been too long since your spirit visited this hallowed place. And yet even so, I know the circumstances of your presence here are not ideal."_

"Neos…" Jaden halfway gasped, still very much awed by the sight of the celestial even after such a meeting as the one they had shared previously. But looking upon the great celestial, an anger stirred within his heart. Clenching his fist Jaden narrowed his eyes at his maker, needing to know the truth. "Why didn't you come? Why did you stand by and let me fail? Let her take my friends!?"

 _"Be calm, child."_ Neos instructed, indeed feeling terrible about what had happened. About everything the poor thing had been put through. _"I am sorry. But I was unable to reach you in that place, even with your heart calling to me. The tyrant formerly known as Viper, had joined with Yubel. And together they created an environment that my power could not traverse."_

"Yubel…" Jaden growled under his breath, his hatred for the demon growing by the second. "She's taken them to the center of creation. She plans to use Syrus's power to summon portals at will to cause all of the dimensions to collapse in on each other and be completely obliterated!"

_"Yes, I heard…"_

"Please, you have to take us there!" Jaden pleaded, his desperation beginning to peak through his anger and confusion. "We have to stop her! That's what you made me for!"

 _"We made you to be a conduit, in which our celestial power could be channeled, and harnessed into a power that could destroy Yubel."_ Neos elaborated, crossing his arms at the youth. _"I myself was a naive fool when you first came to be. I sent you to the field of battle alone, with no companions by your side, and only my power to use."_ He sighed, remembering that fateful day as if it had only just happened. The shame and guilt he felt, knowing he had wasted all of their time and effort to squander the boy on a vain hope. _"But you were not ready. Your body too weak, your heart with hardly any feeling. You had no purpose, no drive. You could not use my power, thus I had failed. And that day Yubel tore you asunder. Leaving your body destroyed, but your soul alive, however fragmented."_

"Yes, I know." Jaden nodded, recalling the tale that Jesse and Sheppard had recounted to him. "I know all about that, now please! You have to take us to Yubel!"

 _"Jaden, you must listen."_ Neos commanded, a sadness coming through his normally strong and stalwart tone. _"On that day, when your body was destroyed, your soul lingered on as you know. Also as you know, your spirit was cursed by Yubel's dark power."_ Nodding along Jaden listened, sensing there was more to the story than even he knew. _"Your spirit survived, only because Yubel's curse unbeknownst to her, was the only thing keeping your soul from being torn apart as well."_

"W-What does that mean…?" Jaden asked, fearful of what Neos would say next. It couldn't be anything good, that was for certain, but it seemed for certain as well that the path he was to walk would soon become that much darker. "If that curse is all that's holding my soul together..?"

 _"It means, young Jaden. That when Yubel is no more, and her dark curse fades…"_ Neos sighed, sad that it had come to this. _"Your soul will tear itself apart. And you will be lost to yourself, to your friends… and to the one whom you love…"_

"Jesse…" Jaden thought aloud. It broke his heart to think that saving him and the rest of the universe would mean they would only be torn away from one another again. But it hurt him even more to think about how much pain Jesse would feel if he failed, and all creation was destroyed. Trapped by Yubel's side, her prisoner for eternity. Even if it meant they couldn't be together again the way Jaden wanted… as long as Jesse and the others could be free of harm… he would gladly pay that price.

 _"Know that there is no turning back now."_ Neos said, placing a strong hand on Jaden's ghostly shoulder, a great grief in his heart. _"I'm sorry, young one. This was all my doing. Had I not been so hasty in my own attempt to send her back to oblivion, had I not treated you only as a tool with which I could use my power to destroy… you would not have had to bear this burden."_

"It's okay." Jaden said, reaching his own hand up to Neos', the fire of determination burning within his eyes. "I don't like it, but this is what destiny chose for me I guess. For all of us. And Yubel has to be stopped, _now_. I know the cost, but I don't care." Shaking his head Jaden clenched his fist, trying not to think about what that demoness could be doing to his friends now. "Even if I did, there's nothing I can do but fight. I have to save my friends _and_ their worlds! We have to stop her, the both of us!"

 _"Indeed we must"_ Neos nodded, proud of the child he and the other Neo Spacians had made. Perhaps being able to experience humanity had truly evolved him after all.

"But I've been thinking…" Jaden sighed, a thought he had been lingering on finally allowing itself to rise to the forefront of his mind. Something he had been quietly thinking about for quite a while now. "Is destroying Yubel… really the only way…?"

" _What's that?"_

"It's just… she was abandoned by everyone who ever cared about her, or she cared about herself." Jaden posited, thinking back to everything he had been told about her, and everything she'd said. "By you. I think… I think she needs help."

" _Even after all the harm she has caused you and your friends? The entire universe?"_ Neos asked, surprised the young one would turn his thoughts on a dime so quickly. " _You would still assist her after all the damage she has done…?"_

"You created me to destroy Yubel. To clean up the mess you made _for_ you." Jaden narrowed his eyes at his creator for a moment, ashamed to think how dismissive the deity had been of someone in such need of kindness. All of them had been. "But no one deserves to be destroyed."

" _I see.."_ Neos sighed, beginning to see just how horrible he and the other celestials had been to Yubel in the past. When all was said and done, it wasn't just humanity that abandoned her. Even the celestials themselves had turned their backs on her, branded her an evil abomination when what she needed was kindness. " _Well, my boy… It seems that you are a far more virtuous soul than any of us could hope to be on this astral plane."_

"Then you'll help me save Yubel? _And_ my friends?" Jaden implored, desperate to free his friends, especially if he could help the entire universe by helping them and Yubel. True, he was still horribly angry with her for everything she had done at harm him and his friends, not to mention so many different dimensions. But at the end of they he realized, Yubel had only become so twisted and hateful because no one had given her a reason to care for others again, or ever showed her kindness when she needed it. Besides, Jaden himself had been a somewhat broken soul, and he had people to help _him._ He could help but think that if anyone had thought to help her all that time ago when she was in such need, then maybe Yubel wouldn't have turned out this way.

" _If that is what you wish."_ Neos nodded, ashamed that he and the other celestials hadn't thought the same sooner. " _However, I'm afraid with how far Yubel has descended into her inner darkness and consumed herself in hatred, to cleanse her heal and return her to the benevolent way she was… she will need to be reformed as you were. And as I told you, child. When her darkness fades, your soul will no longer have an anchor. Are you truly certain?"_

"I already told you, I don't care what happens to me." Jaden reaffirmed, his resolve never once wavering. "Not as long as my friends are safe and the darkness is gone."

 _"Very well. We'll do what we can. I only hope Yubel will allow us to give her this aid..."_ Neos nodded, remorseful that Jaden was so willing to allow himself to be destroyed, but so proud that the boy had become a far better person than Neos could ever have hoped to be. " _Now come. Even with me by your side, we cannot win without your companions. I may be able to strengthen your body. But it is_ they _who strengthen your heart."_

* * *

In the darkness of the abyss, Yubel stood before the center of the twelve dimensions. A large crystal with which twelve fragments were segregated, yet as they floated along around the crystal, the fragments remained ever bound to it. A divine blue light reached from the crystal itself, binding the twelve crystal fragments not only to the crystal's body, but to each other as well. But the light was growing dimmer, the dimensional bonds beginning to be cut by anger and mistrust. The dimensions were barely holding on as it was. The large, beautiful baby blue crystal was all that kept them together. And with the powers of the captive prince she kept, Yubel was more than prepared to break it. Chuckling darkly to herself she turned to the prince's orb of imprisonment, a small smirk crawling across her face as the little one's eyes began to open at last. Blinking rapidly, Syrus reached his little arm up to his eyes, wiping the tiredness away as a small, high pitched groan exited his lips, wearily reaching for his head in an attempt to sooth his throbbing headache.

"Welcome back, little one." Yubel greeted, chuckling at the small boy as he immediately turned to look at her, a fear present in his eyes at the realization of his position, and with no knowledge of what had occurred to get him there the fear was even greater. "I trust you slept well."

"W-Where am I…?" The fearful little prince asked, backing away from her as far as he could, trapped within the magical orb as he was. "What… what do you want with me?"

"Your highness!" Jesse shouted from the other side of Yubel's form, having recovered from their tumble, he banged his fists against the orb though he knew it would do little good. "Are you alright?"

"Jesse?" Syrus questioned, perking up a little at the sound of the familiar voice, his warm accent adding a fresh air of levity somehow despite his worried tone. But he was Jaden's friend, and he had protected the young prince. That was enough for the beauty's presence to be a comfort to Syrus.

"Yeah, it's me!" Jesse nodded, annoyed that Yubel was blocking his view of the small bluenette, keeping them from laying eyes on one another to be certain they were both unharmed, as Syrus having been unconscious, wouldn't have known either way. "I'm here!"

"Oh, how touching." Yubel chuckled mockingly, amused by their human emotions like their pitiful concern for one another. "I hate to interrupt your reunion of sorts. But I have vengeance to achieve."

"And what good will that do you?" Jesse questioned, narrowing his eyes at the demoness, clenching his fists as she reached into Syrus's orb, gently caressing the small boy's face as she thought about the inevitable destruction of the universe. "I'm sorry that humanity forgot about you. But that's no excuse to just destroy everything!"

"Silence!" She shouted, tightening her grip on the small boy, eliciting a high pitched squeak as her claws lightly sank into his fair skin, unable to pull himself away. "You know _nothing_!"

"Maybe I don't." Rolling his eyes, Jesse sat back in the orb, leaning against the magical walls, he let out a heavy sigh. Closing his emerald eyes, his thoughts wandered back to Jaden. "But either way you'll never succeed. Not with Jaden still out there."

"We shall see." Yubel answered, her tone rather flat in comparison to her usual calm rage. Tearing Syrus from the imprisonment orb, the boy struggled in her grasp to little avail. Dragging the child closer to the creation crystal and throwing him down onto the dark ground, the never ending void beneath them struck fear into Syrus's heart at the sight of the swirling darkness beneath them. Narrowing her eyes at the noble child, Yubel reached her arm out towards him, a dark mist gathering in her palm. "We shall see, indeed."

"J-Jesse…!" Syrus exclaimed, slowly backing away from Yubel as best he could not having risen back to his feet, quickly glancing back and forth from Yubel and Jesse, his eyes begging the beauty for assistance. Though he knew none would come. Banging on the orb once more, Jesse started to loath his position even more, wanting nothing more than to have the chance to defend the near-helpless prince.

"Leave him alone!" Jesse called, almost desperately banging his first against the magical orb, watching helplessly himself as the black mist that had converged about her palm shot out at the little bluenette, ensnaring him in its grasp before he even had the chance to try and get away, though in such a place as that there was nowhere for him to go, and he didn't dare use his powers in such a place. In fact, he wasn't even sure they would work correctly in that place. Wriggling about as best as he could manage, Syrus struggled against the firm hold of the mist, fearful of what was to come.

"Your powers are now _mine_ to command, little one!" Yubel laughed, a slight purple glow coming over her body, spreading to the mist as she raised her hand, lifting the small boy a short ways into the air, the mist locking him in place for her to do with him as she pleased. Reveling in his fearful eyes and pitiful struggles for freedom she could only continue to laugh, and with Jesse powerless to help she felt that much more unstoppable. It was a feeling she had not felt for over one thousand years. "And with your powers combined with my own, I will reduce these twelve dimensions to ash and ruin. And I shall finally have my peace!"

Forcing more mist from her body she assailed the young bluenette, wrapping the mist around nearly his entire body she secured him in her grasp, forcing his arms away from his sides the mist bound them at wingspan, allowing slight freedom of his hands for the activation of his portal power. As the mist wrapped itself tightly over the boy's mouth Syrus could feel Yubel's dark magic attempting to take control, trying to hijack his powers to force him to open portals for her. A moment longer passing, Syrus felt a powerful jolt of energy surge through his body, eliciting a muffled cry to tear itself from his mist covered mouth, the jolt enough to lower his guard just enough for her magic to take hold. Forcing him to comply with her scheme. Letting out a series of muffled screams Syrus could feel powerful surges of dark energy shoot through him, feeling almost as if his entire body was on fire. Jesse shouted as he tried desperately to break through the dark orb containing him, almost begging Yubel to let the small and fragile boy go, watching in horror as a blue light emanated from the boy's hands, and below the creation crystal, a portal formed. But no ordinary portal. A dark, evil sort of thing with Yubel's dark magic spewing out of the swirling blue, creating a sort of vacuum type force, the force pulling against the crystal as the light and dark energy of the two powers swirled around one another, creating a vortex that if left unchecked would most certainly tear the crystal and the dimensional crystal fragments apart piece by piece.

"Now, it has begun!" Yubel cackled, taking great pleasure in Syrus's painful screams and Jesse's desperate pleas, all the while her nearly insane sounding laughter echoed throughout the void, more than a little pleased with what she had done and set in motion. However, even she had to admit as well, that there was still very much a loose end in her scheme.

"Yubel!"

Throwing both of their heads back at the familiar voice, Jesse's eyes widened as a wave of relief washed over him at the sight of the love of his life and the rest of their team. Yubel however, was far less pleased.

"Jaden-"

"-You!" She shouted, cutting Jesse off before he could speak further. Narrowing her eyes at the party she tightened her grip on Syrus, the mist squeezing him tighter as another muffled scream escaped his lips, his gray eyes screwed shut in pain. "You're too late, Jaden! Soon the dimensions will collapse! Then each and every one of you will die, and I will finally have my peace!"

"I don't think so." Jaden glared, his eyes fixated on Jesse and Syrus. Even with his newfound desire to help Yubel, a calm rage began to wash over him seeing his boyfriend imprisoned, and his best friend clearly in pain. Raising his reclaimed blade in her direction, the others followed suit, their wounds granted healing by Neos before sending them on their way to the end. "Now release my friends!"

"You must be joking." Yubel chuckled, sending another powerful surge through Syrus's small body, forcing him to open a second portal to further strengthen the vortex, beginning to slowly but surely force the crystal fragments to shift in their magical bond with the crystal itself. "They're _mine_!"

"Think again!" Jaden declared, gripping his blade tighter he charged forward, the others following his lead as they ran at her, Yubel's eyes widening for only a moment at the sight. But there were only seven of them, and they were pathetic humans. She thought surely she could destroy them as easily as she had in the past. However, she underestimated just how strong a human could be if given the proper chance to make a stand.

"Thundara!" Bastion shouted, pointing his staff at the demoness, a bright bolt of lightning shot from the weapon, smacking directly into Yubel's body, a loud yell coming from her lips as she gasped at having actually taken damage from such a pathetic attack. At that time, she couldn't help but recall the devastating blow she had been dealt by Jaden and Neos before. Growling, she knew now that the assault had left her vulnerable to a human attack.

"You won't be destroying anything!" Jim shouted, unleashing a small firearm that Axel had taken from one of the fallen soldiers, insisting that if they were really going to fight, Jim would need an actual weapon rather than just Shirley to protect him. Firing upon Yubel, the bullet sank into her left arm, black blood seeping from the wound as she let out another shout, her anger growing by the second. "Not while we still stand against you!"

"Fools!" Yubel roared, her anger only adding to the dark aura surrounding them, the atmosphere about the void growing heavier with the weight of her deep seated resentment and rage. Forcing yet another shock wave through Syrus's tiny body, the mist about his mouth parted, the boy's heart wrenching screams echoing throughout the void in pure pain and fear as she forced one final portal to overlap the two she had already forced him to open. Stopping in their tracks, the party could only listen in horror, watching the sparkle and consciousness fade from Syrus's gray eyes as his screams were reduced to mere pained whimpers while what little strength his small and fragile body possessed began to fail him. "Nothing can stop it now!"

"J-Jaden…" Syrus whimpered weakly. His eyes barely able to stay open, Syrus looked to his dear friend, his vision darkening as the pain and fatigue slowly took him back to the shadows. "Help…"

"Sy!" Jaden called out, instinctively reaching for the young lad though he was nowhere near within reach. Seeing the bluenette's eyes finally droop closed as he faded from consciousness again, Jaden felt a tightening in his chest. Growling under his breath, Jaden gripped his blade in both hands, mustering every ounce of his strength for a single blow to the demoness. Chuckling quietly to herself, Yubel floated closer to the unconscious prince. Gently taking his adorably boyish face into her hands, she could feel the party's anger. It was glorious.

"I must thank you, little one." She chuckled again, taking the boy into her arms as the mist binding him dissipated into the void beyond. "You have been most useful to me." Turning back to Jaden, she offered a dark smirk, hardly seeming to be affected by Jim and Bastion's attacks anymore. "Perhaps I shall reward him for his service. And make him my prisoner for eternity as well."

"You bitch!" Alexis yelled in fury, taking up her sword as she ran at the demoness, not about to let her oldest friend be left in the clutches of such an evil and heartless being any longer. Frowning at the princess, Yubel tossed Syrus aside, trapping him inside of the orb imprisoning Jesse as well. Scrambling to collect the small boy, Jesse took Syrus into his arms and gently but earnestly tried to rouse him from his unconscious state.

"Foolish girl." Yubel scoffed, still underestimating the strength the children possessed and had been further blessed with. Raising her hand against the incoming attack, Yubel gasped at the sight of Alexis's sparkling blade. "How…!"

"You underestimate us!" Alexis answered, taking a mighty swing with her sword, she managed to cut her now white blade just barely through the skin of Yubel's side, though where the blade struck and her black blood began to flow, a white light remained. Burning into Yubel's demon flesh with a holy fire, she cried out, daring not to clutch her wound for fear of the celestial burn. "We have the celestials backing us up this time!"

"How _dare_ you!"

"Jaden!" Jesse called to his dear one, gently cradling Syrus's small form in his arms, worried for the small prince.

"I'm coming, Jess!" Jaden called back, nodding quickly to the others they nodded back, swiftly moving to join Alexis by Yubel's side, keeping her distracted enough for Jaden to make a move. With Neos on their side they certainly had the advantage in this battle. Gifting them all some of his strength, Alexis and Chazz's blades had been gifted the power of a celestial flame, able to deal harm to Yubel's demonic body. Bastion's spells too had been bolstered a fair amount, and Jim, Axel, and Hassleberry too now stood a chance against her. But to bring her down for good, Jaden would not only need Neos's help, but Rainbow Dragon's as well if they were going to save her too. And his was a power only Jesse could invoke. Meaning to both stop _and_ save Yubel, Jesse would have to be liberated first.

"Hurry, Jaden! We don't have much time!" Jesse worried, glancing over to the vortex Yubel had managed to create. All around he could feel the fear and anguish of all the dimensions, crying out for the gods to save them as they too could feel their homes being slowly torn apart. Quietly moaning as he laid in Jesse's grasp, Syrus tried to force himself to awaken, but the pain of Yubel's assault on his body was great and unmerciful.

 _"Poor thing…"_ Jesse thought, taking pity on the prince, he reached deep within himself. Calling forth the power of the crystal beats residing within his soul, he begged them to aid him now. _"Please. Lend me the strength of your spirits, that Syrus may be healed."_ Placing his right hand gently on Syrus's chest, a white light appeared where Jesse's hand was laid. Closing his eyes Jesse concentrated, praying silently for the boy to heal. Glowing brighter for only a moment the light sank down into Syrus's chest, disappearing into his fragile body. Feeling the boy's rapid heartbeat begin to slow back to a normal pace, Jesse felt relief come to him again. Opening his emerald eyes once more, Jesse watched as Syrus's face grew more relaxed, his own eyes just barely cracking open.

"It's alright now, your highness…"

"Sy! Jesse!" Jaden called, skidding to a stop beside the purple orb he pressed his hand against the mystical shell, dying a little inside not being able to reach through and pull them out. "I'm so sorry! This was all my fault! Are you two alright?"

"I think we are now." Jesse nodded, laying Syrus down before moving closer to the edge of the orb, pressing his palm up against Jaden's own, taking in the feeling of the brunette's spirit, and how comforting his presence was now. Pressing their foreheads against one another's, the orb in between keeping them from fully touching, the two boys shared a silent reunion. Words unable to express how happy they were to be with one another again. Though, Jaden could only feel a bittersweet comfort in Jesse's presence, knowing that all too soon, they would be torn apart yet again.

"Good." Jaden sighed in relief, the smallest smile coming across his face. Glancing past him to Syrus, Jaden felt relief once more as he saw the bluenette's eyes open again, released from his slumber by Jesse's healing prayers. "Get back, Jess. I'm gonna bust you guys outta there!"

"Okay." Jesse nodded, hurrying back to Syrus he took the boy back into his arms, pulling them both back to the far side of the orb, nodding once they were as far away as they could get in the admittedly small sphere. Taking a deep breath, Jaden gripped his blade, mustering the strength he had intended to unleash upon Yubel, he called for Neos's divine power to flow through him once again. Closing his eyes for a moment, Jaden's body was engulfed in a holy light which flowed away from his body and into his short blade. Firing open his eyes, Jaden unleashed a mighty battle cry, slashing at the orb the same holy fire which continued to burn Yubel as the others inflicted upon her what wounds they could, Jaden could sense the sphere's structural integrity weaken significantly from what it had been before. Letting out one final shout, Jaden threw his fist into the holy flame, the dark orb shattering from the final impact as the celestial light spread over the darkness, expelling the evil which ensnared the two bluenette's. Freed of their prison, Jesse and Syrus descended safely to the ground beneath them. Placing the tired but still awakened prince back upon his feet, Jesse kept a hand on his shoulder to steady him, aware that even with hiss previous help, the boy was still in at least a little pain.

"Jesse…!" Hardly able to contain himself any longer, Jaden threw himself upon the celestial child, wrapping his arms around him in a firm yet gentle embrace. Burying his face in Jesse's neck, he held on tightly, almost as if he thought if he let go, Jesse would simply vanish from existence. "I'm so sorry…!"

"Oh, you idiot." Jesse sighed lovingly, wrapping his arms as well around the brunette, running his long and dainty fingers through Jaden's silky brown hair, taking in every possible second as his heart filled with love for the celestial hero. "It's not your fault…"

Catching the event out of the corner of her eye Yubel roared in anger at the sight of the reunion. Her body burned with holy fire, black blood pouring from wounds she hadn't thought possible for her. And behind her she could feel her vortex weakening as her own power was being dulled, and Syrus back in control of his own. For the first time in a thousand years, she could feel herself becoming desperate. Everything had been going according to her design, Jaden helpless in her presence at every turn. But now, at the very end, it was all crumbling down around her. Just as it had all those centuries ago. In the broken, shattered black shell where her heart once was she could feel it. Jaden's own heart was too strong. And in the end, he was going to overcome her. But that didn't mean she was willing to lay down her arms and willingly be destroyed. Yet she took solace in knowing that once she was gone, so too would the curse she had inflicted upon him all that time ago would fade. And in that moment, Jaden's soul would be shattered, and he would be torn to pieces just as she would be.


	23. At The End of All Things

_**-Chapter 23-** _

"NO!" Yubel roared, furious to see that Jesse and Syrus had been freed, her only leverage now gone. The holy flames Neos had imbued their weapons with had ravaged her demonic form, reducing her magic to naught but a shadow of what it was. But that's all they could do, killing her outright was still beyond the reach of Jaden's little friends, but with Jaden clearly having a tighter grasp on his abilities and a clear determination to see the task done no matter the cost, she was loath to admit it wasn't looking too good for her. However, she clawed and swiped at the children, almost desperate to take them down. Taking another swipe at the children, her claws collided with Bastion's chest, tearing into his flesh the Brit cried out in pain as blood began to seep from the deep cuts she had managed to inflict upon him.

"Hey!" Axel called, hurrying to the Brit's side he caught Bastion as he fell from his feet, dropping his staff from his hand as he stumbled, clutching his chest while the pain burned him. "You alright?"

"I-I will be…" Bastion cringed, the sting in his chest not ceasing even a little, though he didn't exactly expect it to so soon. Trying not to rely on Axel to stand, Bastion regained his footing, taking deep and slow breaths to try and ease his pain. "Thank you."

"You did good, Bastion." Axel nodded, acknowledging his genuine effort to keep her at bay long enough for Jaden to free the others, which thankfully had been successful. Bending over quickly, Axel fetched Bastion's staff, returning it to the young wizard so that he could use it to assist him in standing. "Go on and sit this one out for now. We can handle this."

"Very well…" Bastion nodded back, slowly inching away from the scuffle, indeed using his staff to help himself stay upright while he set to work trying to heal his wounds.

"You'll pay for that!" Chazz shouted angrily, taking his sword in hand he took a great swing back at her, landing his blade squarely into her side, Yubel let out a painful roar. Narrowing her eyes in pure rage she grabbed Chazz by the throat as she had done to Jaden before, only now she squeezed as tightly as she was able in her weakened state. Struggling in her grasp, Chazz gasped for any breath at all, pulling and yanking at her hand around his throat. In the shock of it all, his sword fell from his fingers, clanging against the ground as he was no longer able to hold the blade within his slowly numbing fingers.

"Fools!" Yubel shouted, squeezing Chazz's throat one more time, she threw him to one side, his thin form slamming directly into Jim's body and knocking them both to the floor in a heap. Chazz coughed and wheezed as the air came rushing back into his lungs in an instant. Fuming with an unrelenting desperation and rage, tears formed in Yubel's narrowed eyes. "You're all fools!"

"You two alright?" Hassleberry called to them, hurrying over to help them back to their feet he worried for Chazz the most, definitely a little shaken by having seen him be nearly strangled to death right before his eyes.

"Y-Yeah.." Chazz coughed, lightly rubbing his neck to try and sooth the pain from her squeezing him like that. "Fine.."

"Don't worry about us, Hassleberry." Jim said, patting his young friend on the shoulder. "Just make sure she's distracted."

"Got it." Hassleberry nodded back, and with Shirley angrily growling as she positioned herself between Yubel and her dear Jim, he was satisfied enough to decide that they would be safe without him there. Patting Jim on the shoulder in reassurance, Hassleberry hurried to rejoin Alexis and Axel, keeping Yubel at bay long enough for Jaden to make his move.

"Jaden, I'm so sorry…" Syrus lamented, feeling terrible about everything that had happened since they had last seen each other. So much had gone down and gone wrong so fast, it was almost hard for him to even comprehend it. But still, he felt awful nonetheless. "It's my fault this happened… if I was only able to get away the first time and not get kidnapped…"

"No, Sy. Don't you worry about that." Jaden shook his head at the small bluenette, ever so fond of his adorable friend, he hated hearing that he placed the blame upon himself. It couldn't have been further from the truth. "You're safe, and everything's gonna be alright now."

"You're really sure about that?" Jesse questioned. He didn't doubt Jaden, in fact he had more faith in him than anyone else there. But still, he knew deep down in his heart what was coming. And that outcome… it wasn't alright to him at all…

"I am." Jaden nodded, holding Jesse's hand tightly in his own, he never wanted to let go again. To never be apart for another second. Of course, that's what he _wanted_ , but that wasn't how it was going to end. He knew that. "Look, see? Her powers are too weak to maintain her vortex now. Once Sy's portals close she won't be able to collapse the dimensions in on each other."

"But Jaden, look…" Syrus pointed to the crystal. It had already begun to shatter and break apart. The bonds holding the dimensions tethered to both it and each other were more faded than they had been as well. "So much damage has already been done.."

"I know." Jaden sighed, his sad eyes gazing upon the sorry state of their universe. "But that's why we have to stop her. Before she can cause any more harm."

"I know. I know that it's your duty, what you were made for. But…" taking Jaden's hands into both his own Jesse couldn't help but let his emotions take over in that moment. He had kept them at bay when it came to these matters for so long, but here at the end, he just couldn't do it anymore. "But if you go through with this, then your soul will break apart! A-And we might never see each other again…"

"I know, Jess." Jaden sighed, lowering his head, he looked at their hands clasped together, never wanting to see them apart again, but he knew he couldn't just abandon his purpose no matter how badly he wanted to stay with the one he loved. "I know, and I hate it. I hate it _so much._ " Looking back to Jesse, he stared into the flawless emerald orbs, taking in every single square centimetre of Jesse's perfect and gorgeous face. Cherishing every second they still had together. "But even if you did it and not me, it wouldn't change anything. The moment she's gone, the curse will lift and my soul will have nothing to hold it together anymore. Not even Winged Kuriboh could save me now…"

"Jaden…"

"I have to do this, Jess." Jaden insisted, taking his right hand out of Jesse's he placed it gently against the bluenette's cheek, still hardly able to believe how soft and smooth his fair skin was. "I have to help her. Yubel's been in so much pain for so long, lonely in the dark with no one caring enough to help. Not even I saw that until this happened, but we have to do something! And to do it, I need your help. Okay?"

Staring into Jaden's beautiful brown eyes, Jesse couldn't help but feel a little emotional. It was silly to want to cry now, he knew that, and it was easy enough for him to hold the feeling back but he just didn't want to accept it. He wanted the dimensions to be safe, but he didn't want the price to be paid with Jaden's soul. But seeing the fire and determination in Jaden's eyes, and the selflessness in his heart, he knew he couldn't deny him his purpose. Not when he himself was born to help see it fulfilled. He was surprised to hear how Jaden had decided to move forward of course. All this time he thought Jaden's destiny was to destroy Yubel. To erase her from existence so that she could never harm another innocent soul again, when in actuality, it seemed that wasn't at all the case. Jaden was just too kind a person to ever end a life like that. Even one was stained with blood and despair as Yubel's had been. Nodding back to him, Jesse pushed his personal feelings aside for the time being, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself for what was to come.

"Okay."

"Thanks, Jesse."

"Jaden…?" Syrus spoke up, little tremors finding their way into his high pitched voice. He was familiar with the curse latched onto Jaden's soul, but to hear that once it was gone his soul would break apart…

"I'm sorry, Sy." Jaden sighed, feeling terrible that his friend had heard such terrible news. None of the others knew themselves, he hadn't exactly told them what was going to happen when all was said and done. Gently patting the boy's small shoulder the brunette offered him a small smile, not wanting his dear friend to be sad for him. "I wish it didn't have to be this way…"

"Me too…" Syrus lamented, having a harder time than Jesse was pushing aside his feelings. Clenching his fists to try and hold himself together, Syrus's hands trembled. The realization setting in that if Jaden's soul was destroyed, he would lose the closest friend he'd ever had. Of course, Alexis and Atticus had been his friends for years, they'd known each other as long as he could remember. But he never felt particularly close with them. But when Jaden came along, he felt a level of friendship he had never experienced before. Even though they hadn't known each other too long, or weren't able to spend too terribly much time together, in his heart Syrus could feel that they would be connected by their friendship until the end of time. "But you have to save us, Jaden. You have to save her too."

"And I will." Jaden assured, taking Jesse's hand once more he turned his gaze back to Yubel, her tormented screams of burning agony echoing around them, the others doing more than their share to put her down for good. "I won't let you down."

Taking a few steps closer to the weakened demoness the two kept their fingers intertwined, narrowing their eyes collectively at the foul beast, looking forward to being rid of her evil once and for all.

"It's over, Yubel!" Jaden declared, honestly feeling bad for the fallen celestial, seeing her reduced to such a powerless and unholy sight, and as badly as he wanted to, he could feel no light left within her. All that was left of her black heart left her long ago. But still, he was determined to do what he could for her. "You can't hurt anyone anymore."

"How…!" Yubel shouted, angry at the hand fate had dealt her. It just wasn't fair. "All this time, you were powerless against me! How is this possible…!"

"Because before I was weak." He explained, gripping Jesse's hand tighter he could feel the celestial power begin to swell within them. "You stripped me of my memories, cutting me off from my own power and the celestials who created me. They made me so they could convert their power into strength that could destroy you. So without them, you're right. I was powerless. And on top of that my spirit and my heart were too weak to contain such power. I was alone. But not anymore."

"He has friends." Jesse continued, their bodies taking on an iridescent glow as their hearts and spirits joined together, awakening the celestial strength they held deep within themselves. "Loved ones. A _reason_ to fight. To live." Frowning at the fallen demon, he took pity on her as well, sad a once beautiful creature had been hardened and tainted so by her inner darkness and lust for power and vengeance. "And a willingness to try and help even someone as shattered inside as you are.."

"I'm not going to destroy you, Yubel." Jaden explained, giving Jesse's hand a gentle squeeze as he watched tears of broken desperation fall from Yubel's anguished eyes. "Until now, I thought that was the only way to stop this. But it isn't. I want to help you, Yubel. If you'll let me."

"Everyone, get back!" Alexis called, hurriedly ushering the party away from Yubel's downed form, hurrying to join Syrus behind the two celestial children as not to get caught up in whatever attack they were no doubt going to unleash. Watching as the glow engulfing their bodies intensified Alexis could understand it, but in her heart she felt heavy, and grieved with an emotional pain. As if deep down she knew that this was going to be the last time she would see Jaden again.

"What are they gonna do?" Axel asked quietly, really doing his best to get a grasp on just what the hell he had been swept up into at practically the last second. Nothing at all made sense to him, but somehow he didn't seem to mind all that much all things considered. He had seen and experienced many strange things in his life, this just happened to be the strangest by far. But they had requested his aid in this final battle, and he had been willing to give it to them.

"They're going to summon the celestials…" Bastion observed, as well feeling deep within his heart just as Alexis could, that soon it would come time for them to say farewell to the brunette. Perhaps forever. Watching silently the group could hardly stand the sight, the iridescent light became far more intense than it had before, covering nearly the entire void in its glow. Around them a great and powerful wind erupted as pillars or light shot down from the heavens, covering Jaden and Jesse in their magnificence.

_"We have come, Jaden."_

"Thanks, Neos." Jaden nodded, keeping a tight grip on Jesse's hand he could hear the roar or Rainbow Dragon sound around them as they appeared alongside them, Yubel's eyes widening at the sight of her former friends, coming to the realization of what was soon to occur.

 _"I am sorry, Yubel."_ Neos said, placing his hand on Jaden's shoulder, transferring a portion of his power to his human conduit, lamenting the broken state of the demoness. After all, she was once one of their own. But all that was left of her holy light had all but extinguished long ago, only the tiniest spark remaining. The only hope for her now was the destruction of her physical form, so that it could be possible for her celestial form to be reborn again as Jaden's was. Possible, but there was no guarantee. _"All of this has ultimately been my own doing. The others and I… we were blind to the truth of the matter, and we abandoned you when you needed us. If only I had seen it all those centuries ago. Then, perhaps none of this would ever have happened... "_

"Save your pity for someone who wants it!" Yubel spat venomously, narrowing her eyes at the celestial being before her. The last thing she wanted now was their sympathy. They had done too much damage to her by now for her to want anything from them. "But know that when I'm gone, your precious Jaden's soul will shatter! What say you about that!?"

"That as long as my friends and the universe are safe, I don't care what happens to me!" Jaden interjected, though in his heart he did care at least a little. After all, if his soul shattered he couldn't be with Jesse anymore, and that thought cut him so deeply. But so long as she couldn't hurt anyone, he could take solace in knowing that Jesse would be safe from further harm. Besides, there was a chance Yubel could be reborn the way he was, and he was willing to take that chance if it meant he could save the universe _and_ her.

" _I know we can never make amends for what I and the others have caused. But I hope you will allow us to take this step."_ Neos pleaded. He knew it wasn't ideal, but if they left her like this much longer, he also feared that the spark of holy light still clinging to her soul would fade away forever, and there would be no hope for her. He had made many mistakes over the many millenia he had seen, but Neos was more than ashamed that it had taken Jaden to make him realize the biggest mistake he had made, and to see just how close minded and cruel he had been to one he used to call his friend.

"We can't let you hurt people anymore, Yubel. But if you'll let us, we want to help you stop hurting too." Jaden offered, extending his hand to the crying demoness.

"After everything I've done to you and your friends." Yubel thought aloud, her anger nearly outweighed by her confusion, unable to comprehend how they had gotten to this point. "To the universe. How could you just turn around and say you want to _help_ me?" Tears still falling from her eyes, Yubel just couldn't understand what was going on anymore. The pain she had held within her for over a millennia was so much for her, she wanted it to go away, but she was just so angry. She didn't _want_ their help. That ship had sailed in her mind the moment Neos and the other celestials decided to seal her away and leave her alone in the dark forever. In her anger and lust for revenge, she had done terrible things over the centuries, and even _killed_ Jaden before. There was absolutely no reason for him to want to do anything good for her, and yet here he was, saying he wanted to help her. It just didn't make any sense to her. " _Why_!?"

"It's true." Jaden conceded, nodding in agreement with Yubel's claim. "You've done terrible things, and ruined and ended so many lives. And we can't forgive you for that." Sighing, Jaden moved closer to Yubel, placing a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder. "But Neos, and the rest…even humanity. We hurt _you_ too."

"They stuck me in the void for centuries!" Yubel shouted venomously, almost desperately clinging to her hatred, shoving Jaden away from her. After all this time, hate was the only thing she knew how to feel anymore. "Alone, trapped in the darkness! And your pitiful humans did nothing but cause it yourselves! You don't deserve this universe!" slamming her fist into the shadowy ground, Yubel narrowed her eyes at the group, tears still streaming from her eyes as she extended her claws towards the young prince. "That boy is the key to everything!"

"Stay back, Syrus." Alexis ordered, gently pushing the bluenette behind her body, narrowing her own eyes at the fallen demoness, determined to protect her old friend.

"Hand over the child!" Yubel demanded, struggling to pull herself off the ground. "With his powers I will collapse the twelve dimensions and destroy you all!" Taking a step forwards, Yubel fell back to her knees, unable to hold herself up any longer. Processing her blatant failure, she wailed. Her sobs coming out as more screaming than crying. She hadn't felt this much hurt since she had first been abandoned all that time ago.

"Destroying the universe won't help you, Yubel." Jesse offered, honestly starting to feel bad for Yubel, seeing her so broken and pathetic like that. Looking on her in such a state, he started to finally understand Jaden's desire to help the poor creature. The brunette was so compassionate, not a single cruel bone in his body. It just wasn't in him to leave her that way, _or_ to erase her from existence the way she had attempted to do to him all that time ago.

"Please." Jaden said, placing his hand back on Yubel's trembling shoulder. "Stop letting yourself be consumed by hate and hurt. Stop hurting people… hurting others won't make your pain go away." sighing, Jaden listened to Yubel's cries. He was still angry with her for everything she had done. She hurt his friends, she kidnapped Syrus and Jesse, and tried to use Syrus to destroy the entire universe. And beyond that she had done so many unforgivable things, but still he just couldn't leave her like that. It just wasn't right. "We can help you."

"And if you did that, I would have to disappear." Yubel muttered, keeping her tearful eyes away from the celestial brunette, doing her best to calm down. "Your soul would still be torn asunder. Are you truly willing to leave your dear, _precious_ friends? The one you love? All for my sake?" Glaring up at Jaden, Yubel hated that she was even having a proper conversation with him. "Can you truly be fine with that?"

"No. I'm not okay with it." Jaden answered, letting out another small sigh as he turned his gaze back to his companions, taking in every aspect of them while he still could. "Not at all. But I'm not okay with leaving you like this either. Or killing you. It's not the right thing to do. No one deserves to die. Not even you."

"The _right thing_." Yubel scoffed, annoyed by how virtuous the brunette was. "No celestial I know ever did the _right_ thing."

" _We can try to start."_ Neos sighed, indeed ashamed of himself for all the pain he had caused his once good friend.

Keeping silent, Yubel looked at the group for a moment before turning her eyes away one more time. As much as she hated to admit it, she had lost. It didn't take a genius to know that. And not that she would ever admit it to anyone, she was appreciative of their offer. She didn't exactly _want_ their help after what they did to her, but she didn't want to be destroyed either. All she wanted anyway was just some peace of mind.

"Whatever." She muttered under her breath, the bitterness in her tone never leaving. It probably never would. "Just get it over with."

"As you wish." Jaden nodded, slowly standing from his place beside her, he returned to Jesse's side. Feeling a sorrow grow within him, Jaden gripped Jesse's hand tightly, lamenting his inevitable demise, yet still he smiled.

"It'll hurt, Yubel." Jesse added, feeling the power of Rainbow Dragon and the Crystal Beasts surge through his body, gripping Jaden's hand as well, the power they held ran between each other, growing and swelling as they held their free hands out towards her, preparing for the final strike. "But you'll be free now."

With another mighty yet melancholy roar from Rainbow Dragon, the power within their bodies surged once more. Just as before the power shot itself from their palms in beams of blinding light, the offensive power of Neos, and the healing light of Rainbow Dragon combining together to be as one. Colliding with Yubel's weakened demonic form, the holy fire seared and burned her flesh like never before. Crying out for a moment in pain from the holy blast, Yubel's body was shattered, breaking apart until her spirit alone remained, the darkness which had consumed her was stripped away as her soul faded back into the universe, consumed in Rainbow Dragon's divine restorative light. As her presence faded away, Jaden's eyes widened. A great pain exploding from his chest, he stumbled and fell to his knees the beams of power vanishing immediately as Jaden's strength failed him, the light fading from his beautiful brown eyes.

"Jaden!" Jesse cried, immediately dropping to his knees beside the brunette there was a tight feeling in his chest, knowing that Jaden's time as well was drawing near.

"Is he alright?" Hassleberry fired, his gaze shifting at lightning speed between the group, hoping someone, _anyone_ had an answer.

"No, he's not…" Syrus answered, only pausing a single second before rushing over to his friend, watching as Neos knelt beside him, taking the brunette into his arms, a deep remorse coming over him seeing more or less his son basically dying in his arms.

"S-She's gone…" Jaden gasped out, his vision blurring on the edges he could feel his spirit breaking as the life drained from his body. Feeling Jesse's hand still around his own he let his head list just far enough so that he could see his companion. "Jesse.."

"We did it, Jay.." Jesse nodded, hardly able to contain his feelings any longer. Not even caring that the others were amassing around them as tears threatened to fall from his eyes seeing Jaden in such a state. "She'll be reformed now… everyone is safe..."

"What's going on?" Chazz asked, honestly worried to see Jaden's lifeless eyes staring blankly at Jesse, hardly even registering his presence anymore. He'd seen the brunette in pain before, it wasn't that that was the problem, but realizing something was truly wrong, it bothered him to not know what to do about it. "What the hell happened?"

 _"Yubel's darkness has been dispelled."_ Neos explained, cradling Jaden's rapidly weakening body gently within his arms, deeply saddened that such a thing had been made to come to pass. _"Her soul has been saved. But with her pain and hatred went the curse she had inflicted upon Jaden's own soul. The only thing that has been able to bind his spirit together all this time…"_

"What…?"

"Jaden is dying, Chazz…" Alexis simplified. Looking upon the fading brunette she could feel her heart seize. He had done so much for her, helping her save her brother's life, and allowing her the chance to heal her own emotional wounds. But now at the end of the journey, there was nothing she could do for _him_ in return. A tear fell from her hazel eyes as she turned her head away, unable to bear the sight any longer.

"Jaden, please don't go…" Syrus sniffled, kneeling down beside his best friend, tears lining his own gray eyes as well. "It just isn't fair. You've done more for us than we could ever do for you. You saved our universe! You saved me… even Yubel, a-and you didn't even have to! You can't leave us now…!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Jaden offered the teary prince a gentle smile, slowly raising his free hand to Syrus's face, Jaden wiped the tears from the boy's soft cheek, his own hand trembling as his strength waned. Reaching up, Syrus held Jaden's trembling hand, tears continuing to fall from his eyes, unable to accept his dear friend's fate.

 _"You needn't be sorry, my child…"_ Neos offered, cradling the boy closer he could feel it. Jaden's soul was leaving him. They didn't have much time left. _"All of this. It was ultimately my doing. Mine, and all the rest of the celestials, and we put all of our failures upon your shoulders. It is I, who should apologize to you. Not you to your friends, for you have done no wrong…"_

"Jaden…" Jesse whispered, his own eyes stinging from the tears building up within them, squeezing Jaden's hand as tightly yet gently as he could, as if his grip alone would be enough to save the brunette's soul. "Please don't leave me. I know you said you didn't care what happened to you. That this was your duty, and you were happy to see it through. And I was okay with that for a long time. But I'm not anymore." Shaking his head at the notion of losing Jaden, Jesse finally let his tears flow freely. Letting out a sob of pure anguish at the thought, he collapsed even further from his knees, holding Jaden's limp and nearly lifeless hand against his forehead. His sobs wrenching the hearts of everyone around them. "I-I don't wanna lose you…!"

Mustering what little strength he could, Jaden offered Jesse a solemn smile. He didn't want to leave Jesse either. In a perfect world they would be able to stay together forever, able to live and love until the end of their days. But the world was far from perfect. Sensing Jaden's desire, Syrus guided Jaden's limp hand over to Jesse, gently pressing it against the bluenette's tear soaked cheek, Jesse took one of his own hands and placed it atop Jaden's as Syrus took his own away, leaving them to share in their final moments together.

"I know…" Jaden soothed, trying to wipe the tears away from Jesse's face, but his fingers could barely move anymore. His vision was beginning to darken along the edges as well, his time was short and only growing shorter. Hearing the cries of his friends around him, he could see their love for him shining through the darkness that threatened to take him away. Even if he was gone, he would still be with them. "But you know… I'll always… be with you…" feeling the last of his strength begin to leave him, all Jaden could see was Jesse. His flawless yet tearful face staring back at him with sad but loving eyes. Jaden could think of no better way to spend his final moments than in such a company. Offering one final smile to Jesse and their friends, Jaden let his eyes close, unable to keep them open any longer. "I love you all…"

"I love you too, Jaden…" Jesse whispered, just loud enough for Jaden to hear. "We all do…" A silent, teary moment passed, and Jaden's body grew still. With his soul shattered, the life was gone away from his thin form. Feeling the last of his spirit fade, Jesse gave Jaden's hand a gentle squeeze. Moving closer to his side, the bluenette placed his hand on Jaden's head, stroking back his silky brown hair. Tears flowing endlessly from his eyes, Jesse leaned in closer, moving aside Jaden's bangs he planted a gentle kiss upon his forehead before letting his sobs take him once again. Sharing another tearful moment together, Syrus placed a comforting hand on Jesse's shoulder, sharing a lament for him as well as Jaden as Rainbow Dragon let out a mournful roar, signifying the loss of the celestial hero's soul. Cradling Jaden's lifeless form still, Neos looked to the crying children before him, a great grief in his heart as well. And yet still, the tiniest spark of hope yet remained.

 _"Do not despair, young ones."_ Neos consoled, understanding just how heartbroken the children were to lose their dear friend. _"His soul is shattered and gone. But it is not yet lost."_

"Is there anything that can be done...?" Bastion dared to ask, placing his own hand on Jesse's shoulder in a sign of comfort, deeply saddened as well that it had come to this. "May he be restored as well…?"

 _"There is a chance."_ Neos nodded, hoping that such a task would be within his power to see done. _"If it were his body that was shattered as before, that would be one thing. But souls are tricky, fickle things. To salvage the broken pieces and restore them to his physical form without damaging it… this is no simple task. In fact, it is far more difficult to restore a soul to the body than it is to restore a body to the soul."_

"Bring him back…" Jesse pleaded, finally allowing himself to stop the tears from flowing. His face had begun to grow numb from crying, and even his fingers were starting to tingle after such a time. Looking up at Neos, his eyes were puffy and red, his expression denoting just how much pain he was feeling in his heart. As if it had been torn from his chest and torn apart piece by piece before his eyes. It was more than he could take. "Please…"

 _"I cannot promise such things, young Jesse…"_ Neos sighed, sympathizing with Jesse's pain nonetheless. _"It may not even be possible. But I will try… It's the least I can do, after forcing so much pain upon him as we did. Jaden set us all on the correct path. He was able to see what I had blinded myself to so long ago, and his virtue brought even Yubel back from the depths of darkness. He deserved far better than such a fate. I will do what I can, for his sake."_

"Thank you…" Jesse whispered softly, placing every ounce of faith he had left in Neos's thinly veiled promise. If it worked, and Jaden's soul was restored to him, Jesse knew it would take time. A long time, but having to wait a while was better than never seeing him again at all. Honestly, he didn't even want to think about that, but the possibility still remained that Jaden's soul would be lost forever, and even if Neos was able to form him a new soul to restore him to life, it wouldn't be the same Jaden. The friend who had given up everything to save them. The one Jesse had pledged his heart too, and vice versa as well. Running his fingers one last time through Jaden's hair Jesse held on to that tiny spark of hope. That one day, he would be together with Jaden again. And this time, they wouldn't be torn apart from one another.


	24. Miracles

_**-Chapter 24-** _

As the council's shouting began to finally die down, Sheppard felt a pain in his heart. It wasn't a physical kind of thing, he was perfectly healthy for his older age. It was as if he could feel the pain and sorrow the children felt, the way Atticus could. Placing a hand over his heart, Sheppard took a seat, greatly disturbed look upon his face for a moment before it was replaced with one of great sorrow. He had felt the dimensions being slowly torn asunder, he was certain he wasn't the only one either. But when it stopped, he knew what was transpiring. The grand maester's gift and curse of foresight had seen to that long ago. And yet, even knowing it would come to pass, Sheppard still didn't want to believe it was true. Yubel had been defeated, and now… the boy was gone…

"Sheppard?" Atticus asked, having returned from the rest Crowler had insisted he take before, feeling the sorrow exude from the elder leader. "Are you alright…?"

"Yubel is gone…" Sheppard whispered, only loud enough for the empathetic prince to hear over the council. "Jaden succeeded... " keeping his eyes away from Atticus, Sheppard couldn't help but feel sad about what had happened. He was beyond happy that the universe was safe, but peace coming at the expense of such an innocent and kindhearted child, it couldn't feel anything other than bittersweet.

"He did?" Atticus asked, happy to hear it, but of course he could feel the maester's melancholy, certainly putting a damper on the happy news. "Are they alright…? And the prince…?"

"Lord Viper has been absent for quite a while." The first dimension ambassador spoke up, interrupting the other conversations going on around him, catching Zane's attention once again, the King's eyes narrowing at the mention of his brother's abductor. "Surely he should have returned by now?"

"That bastard." Zane proclaimed, his furry with the man reignited at the mention of him. "You're right. Where is he!?"

"Viper is dead."

A hush came over the room at the news. As the statement fell upon the ears of the council, the large double doors into the chamber fully parted away, revealing the deliverer of the shocking news. There in the doorway, Axel stood strong and resolute, the others following close behind, the sorrow of Jaden's passing still present in their eyes.

"Surely you jest?" The eight dimension's prime minister shouted, raising an eyebrow at the sixth dimension mercenary, hardly able to believe that such a thing could possibly be true.

"It's true." Axel nodded, confirming his statement. "I was there. We all were." gesturing back to the others behind him, they nodded along, adding further legitimacy to his claim.

"It's true." Alexis spoke up, stepping forward from her place among the group, her royal presence permeating throughout the room. Hearing the words from the princess, the council, seeing the long absent princess, realized the gravity of the situation they had just been informed of.

"Alexis!" Atticus gasped, surprised to see his sister there. Of course, he wasn't at all complaining, he wanted to see her again that was for sure, but he certainly hadn't expected her to appear at the council, much less alongside someone from the sixth dimension.

"So then, Viper is truly gone?" Aster questioned, in just as much shock as everyone else in attendance.

"Then where the hell is my brother!?" Zane fumed, beyond glad to hear that his enemy had been vanquished, but even with such news he still couldn't put away the anger he held within himself about his brother's abduction.

"He's safe." Alexis smiled, happy that despite all that had happened around her lately, at the very least she could return her dear friend back to his rightful place. Turning back to the group, she hurried over to them. Reaching past Chazz and Bastion, Alexis grabbed the small boy, leading him away from the others she escorted him to his brother's side. Passing by the remaining dimensional leaders, the quiet murmurs broke any semblance of silence that may have tried to enter the chamber. Relief in their eyes, Aster and Zane took solace in the fact that Syrus didn't appear to be injured in any way, though Zane couldn't help but ask.

"Are you alright, Syrus?" He questioned, an urgency about his tone, however calm he appeared to be on the outside. "Did that _bastard_ harm you?"

"No, brother." Syrus answered, shaking his head at his elder brother's question. "I'm fine. But… I'm sorry…" turning his eyes away from Zane, Syrus couldn't help but feel ashamed that there had been a situation to begin with. He couldn't help but think that if he had tried harder, or wasn't so small and weak that he could have prevented the whole thing. Though of course, he knew better than that. Yubel had been behind it all, so even if Axel had failed to abduct him, it still would have happened one way or another. Even so, he still felt awful about the whole thing. After all, if it hadn't happened… he couldn't help but think that Jaden would still be there with them now… "It's my fault this happened… I wasn't strong enough…"

"No. you're not." Zane answered plainly, not one to sugarcoat literally anything, even for his little brother. Placing a hand on Syrus's small shoulder however, Zane shot a glare at Axel, as if he knew Axel had been the one who had abducted his dear brother. "But you're safe now, which is what's important. And you know full well whose fault it was. And as it would seem, he's long gone."

"Yeah…" Syrus responded, feeling a little better knowing his brother didn't blame him for what had happened, though he still felt a great sorrow and regret within his heart.

"Alexis!" Atticus called from the other side of the chamber, beyond happy to see his dear sister again. Hurrying over to her, Atticus brushed past the royal brothers, wrapping his arms tightly around his little sister. Pulling her in close, he felt a relief wash over him knowing from what Sheppard had told him that her mission was finally over. She could come home.

"Atticus…" Alexis sighed, hugging her brother back she too felt relieved. From what she could tell, he was in a much stronger and healthier state than the last time she saw him. Hardly a visible bandage left on his body. Giving her brother a small squeeze, she knew he could feel the sorrow she held within her, the mourning she and the others were in at Jaden's loss. There was no point in even trying, that much she had learned about her brother during her lifetime. But still, there was happiness too. Atticus was right, with her job done, she could finally return home where she could protect him from ever being put in such a horrible position again. Her life could return to normal. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stay away so long this time…"

"I know." Atticus chuckled, remembering the last conversation they had had. "You had something important to do. You know I understand that."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed, pulling out of her big brother's hug, just taking in the peace of the moment for once. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel anger and hatred. The sorrow she felt was real, but after many years, she finally felt a shred of real happiness and peace again.

"You're welcome, by the way." Chazz scoffed under his breath as he stepped out fully into the chamber, a little annoyed that they had gone through so much trouble and literally ended up saving the _universe_ just to get the little prince back, and with seemingly no thanks at that. Rolling his eyes, Chazz glanced around the room, catching a glimpse of Crowler over by Sheppard. Nodding to his chancellor, Crowler locked eyes with the young warrior as well. "Told you we'd try, Crowler."

"Indeed you did." Crowler nodded back, proud of his young champion, relieved that they had not only managed to rescue the young prince, but as it appeared, they had all managed to return relatively unscathed. Only as the remainder of the group finally decided to file into the chamber, there was a particularly strong presence that was nowhere to be found. "But children… where is young Jaden…?"

Hearing the chancellor's question, a wash of sadness came over the children's faces. Knowing full well where the celestial hero was, and what the situation had become.

"I beg your pardon, but who is this Jaden?" the ambassador of the first dimension questioned, raising an eyebrow at the chancellor in confusion, also concerned to see the sadness on the faces of their many young visitors. "Surely someone of importance?"

"Indeed he is." Sheppard spoke up, a solemn look of his own coming across his face as he stood from his seat, locking his eyes on Jesse. Sad to see the bluenette so dejected and distant, he made his way over to the celestial child, taking a moment of hesitation before placing a his hand gently on the boy's shoulder. "Young Jaden is a hero. Sent to us from the Neo Spacians, that boy is the reason we still stand here now." Sighing, he could see Jesse wavering at the mention of his dear one. "He is a brave, compassionate young man. And he has saved us all."

"I beg your pardon…?" the second dimension elder asked, speaking for the rest of the council in conveying just how confused the out of the loop dimensional leaders were.

"The details are many, and of which I will not share with you now." Sheppard answered, knowing the story would be far too long to tell at such a time, and with sparing the children's feelings in mind as well, he decided that for now he would keep the finer details to himself. "But know that that boy, as well as these children. They have rescued each and every dimension from a most dire fate." offering the children a gentle smile, Sheppard felt pride within his heart, so proud that they had managed to deliver the universe from a horrid end. Not only that, but with Jaden's innocent virtue, another soul had been delivered from the darkness of the void. A soul many did not even know existed. "And I shall celebrate them all."

"As will I." Atticus nodded, placing his own hand on his sister's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze as he locked eyes with the group. Feeling all of the sorrow yet faint hope within their hearts, he knew what had come to pass. The mission was done, yet Jaden wasn't there with them now. It was more than apparent what had happened.

"Indeed." Crowler nodded in solidarity, also sorrowful at the apparent loss of their hero. Though still, he honored the children for their courage and valor. Nodding silently, Zane too shared in their moment of solidarity. His had been the first dimension Jaden had ever known. He had met the boy when he was just a lost, empty-headed child. And he and Aster had been the ones to send him on his evidently ill fated journey. Acknowledging his honor within this victory was the least he could do for the brunette now.

"He's gone, Sheppard…" Jesse nearly whispered, the sorrow within him stronger than that the others held within their hearts. He had only known Jaden for a short time. A _very_ short time. But despite that, he truly loved him. And now his soul was gone..

"Yes…" Sheppard sighed, lowering his head for a moment, closing his eyes as he acknowledged the great loss. "Yes, I know…"

"C'mon, cheer up, mate." Jim interrupted, placing a hand on Jesse's free shoulder, he offered the despairing bluenette a soft, comforting smile. "Neos said he'd try to bring him back. There's still hope."

"That's right." Hassleberry agreed, knowing full well that no matter how dark things seemed, hope always remained. Jim had certainly had a hand in teaching him that lesson. "I know it's painful right now. We all miss Jaden... but you have to believe that someday, he'll come back." Smiling brightly at Jesse, Hassleberry raised his hand to his chest, placing it carefully over his heart. "But until then, well, he's right here."

"And he always will be." Bastion added. Feeling terribly sad for his friend, he gave Jesse a gentle pat on the back, hoping that he wouldn't stay so solemn for long. Though with how strong a bond he and Jaden had formed, Bastion knew better than to think otherwise. Still, Jesse nodded in response to their kind words, knowing full well that each of them were right.

"You're right."

" _Come back soon, Jay…"_

* * *

It had been nearly a year since that day.

In the rolling green hills of the fourth dimension, everything was calm. The breeze blew gently through the trees, birds sang to themselves and to each other, and the clouds floated slowly across the flawless sapphire sky. All was peaceful and serene, not a care in the world came to the acolytes and maesters of the Rainbow Dragon's temple. But deep within the hallowed place, huddled over a desk with a quill pen in hand, Jesse remained as sorrowful as he had been so long ago, on the day he had been parted from his dearly departed loved one.

* * *

_Dear Jaden,_

_This is probably what? The 20th letter I've written you…? I know that's a lot, but like I said before, the maesters told me writing to you could help me start to feel better about what happened. I'm not sure if they were right, honestly. It's been nearly a year since your journey ended, and Neos took you back to Neo Space to try and restore your shattered soul._

_I think the others have started to move on a little, though. Jim and Hassleberry are still here with us, they haven't gone back home once since we came along, though I can't say I blame them. I think they're talking to Sheppard about staying here permanently. Axel's had some trouble lately trying to rebuild the sixth dimension's government, and I hear fixing the relationship with dimension nine has been rather difficult for him since he kidnapped Syrus and all. But Syrus still keeps putting in a good word for him. I know you didn't know Axel that long, Jay. But I've spoken to him on more than one occasion since then. I don't think the sixth dimension could have asked for anyone better to lead them back to the honorable people they once were._

_Remember Atticus's coronation I told you about last time? Well, it finally happened. Alexis even came back to the castle to share the moment with him. Of course, we were all invited to attend. It was really fun, I think you would have had a really good time. Oh yes, and Alexis told me to tell you that she's sorry. She never got the chance to thank you properly for helping her save her brother's life, and for showing her that there's more to being a strong person than just physical strength. But that it takes a strength of heart, and compassion too. So, thank you for helping her with that._

_From what I hear, Chazz is still going off and fighting where he can. I think he's still angry you two never got to settle that little debt he says he owed you. Alexis and Chancellor Crowler both tried to convince him that it had been paid, but he won't have it. Even up until the coronation he still declared that he wouldn't consider the debt repaid until you could make it official yourself. So I guess you'd better make sure you come back and take care of that, huh? Bastion? He's still shadowing me most of the time. I think he just isn't going to stop looking after me, even though the quest is long finished. I don't mind though. It gives him something to do at least, and someone for me to talk to if I need to when he's around. After everything he did for us, I heard that Sheppard wants to appoint him as a fully fledged maester soon. I wish you could be here to see it… I know it would mean a lot to him. And me, too… all of us, actually._

_And Syrus? I know you wanna know. I know I talk about everyone in all of these things, I think it's unfair for you to be left out of the loop, y'know? Zane's gotten over the whole incident by now. Actually, he let go of that fairly quickly, which surprised us all. Remember that? But Syrus tells me he and Aster are still very protective. And by the way, he misses you probably almost as much as I do… we talk about you a lot, y'know. You made quite an impression on us all in such a short time, it's hard to believe we haven't all known each other all our lives. The dimensions are still trying to repair the damage done by Yubel's assault. But more portal points have appeared where the rifts she created repaired themselves, so it's more convenient for people to travel, so at least that's one positive thing to take away, right? It's hard to be positive, even after so long. I just… I miss you so much. It's still so weird not seeing you around, or being able to talk to you. The spirits keep trying to cheer me up, saying there's still hope for your soul to be restored, and I keep hoping. But it's still so hard to even think about. I don't know, I just can't stop thinking about you. Sometimes I think I see you and I get excited, but then I realize it's just in my head and I get depressed again. Basically I guess all I want to say is that I miss you. We all miss you. But we're well, and we're waiting. So, as long as it takes, we'll be here. And I love you._

_Love, Jesse_

* * *

Placing the quill back into the inkwell, Jesse sighed, looking over his letter he gently folded it and placed it in an envelope, opening one of the desk drawers he placed it into the pile of letters he had amassed over the past year. It was so lonely for him in the temple, even with Bastion and the rest of the maesters around to keep him company. But without Jaden's light and laughter, it all just seemed so empty and sad. It had been nearly a year since Jaden was taken from him and the others, but nothing seemed to fill the whole he left in all of their hearts.

 _"I really do miss you, Jay…"_ Jesse sighed again, getting up from his seat Jesse went over to the small bay window in his quarters, taking a seat on the shelf he brought his knees up to his chest, curling himself into a tiny ball he looked out the window, looking out upon the lush green hills and vibrant flower gardens. A short ways off he could even see the hillside where Rainbow Dragon had first descended and delivered him into the world of men. It all seemed a lifetime ago somehow, like he really had lived all the years his physical body would suggest. Watching the clouds roll by in silence, Jesse sighed quietly under his breath once more, wishing beyond anything that Jaden could be there to share these peaceful days with him the way he wanted. _"Please come back soon…"_

Almost as if on cue, Jesse saw something almost unbelievable out of the corner of his eye. Pressing himself up against the glass, Jesse couldn't believe his eyes. A bright streak of light flew across the sky like a shooting star, passing over the fields and gardens the light stopped over the Rainbow Dragon's hill, forming into a pillar of light that shined from the heavens down to the earth below. His eyes widening in a vain and desperate hope, Jesse tore from his chamber, clamoring down the temple corridors as he ran from the temple into the gardens, his heart pounding as he hoped and prayed that this would be the moment he and the others had been waiting for for so long. Not even stopping for a single moment to catch his breath, Jesse silently cursed the fact that he wore wedges, running really wasn't very comfortable in them but at this point he was starting to not care about anything at all. Nothing mattered to him at that point but seeing Jaden again. Sprinting as fast as he could, Jesse stumbled up the dragon's hill, finally stopping to breathe a little as the pillar of light slowly faded from sight. Having bent down a little, his hands gripping his slightly bent knees as he caught his breath, Jesse lifted his head, nearly having a heart attack at the sight. Slowly rising back to his full height, Jesse's eyes were wider than they had ever been in his short life, tears beginning to form immediately as his emotions boiled over. There before him, delivered by the heavens themselves, Jaden stood atop the hill, his eyes just as vibrant and full of life as they had always been. Offering the bluenette a loving, yet slightly awkward and embarrassed smile, Jaden tilted his head just slightly, raising his right hand and waving to his dear one.

"Hey, Jess."

Unable to contain the joyful tears for even a second, Jesse let them fall freely. Hurling himself at the brunette, Jesse wrapped his arms around Jaden. Burying his face in Jaden's neck, Jesse just held him and sobbed, expelling all of the loneliness and pain he had held within him over the empty year that had all too slowly come and gone. Sighing quietly, Jaden smiled gently, wrapping his arms too around Jesse, lightly stroking the back of the bluenette's head, he just let him cry for a moment. Fully understanding just how painful the whole experience must have been for him.

"I'm back."

After his cries had calmed a little, Jesse pulled himself away from Jaden, placing a hand on his cheek, Jesse took in every inch of his face. It was just as beautiful as he remembered. Feeling himself becoming overwhelmed with joy once more Jesse pulled Jaden back in, their lips colliding in a kiss too long overdue. Holding each other close the kiss continued on for another ten seconds at least, both of them never wanting to let the other go, but after a moment Jesse pulled himself away once again, wiping the tears away from his flawless emerald eyes. He hated to admit it, but even after only just a year he had begun to slowly give up hope of ever seeing Jaden again. But there he was, right there in front of him, holding him and smiling again. It was the most wonderful feeling he had ever felt. And with all the joy and overwhelming love he felt inside, Jesse didn't regret a single day he had lived, and he knew for Jaden it had to have been the same.

"Welcome back."

**The End**


End file.
